


Love, Blaine

by GleefulDarrenCrissFan



Category: Glee
Genre: Closeted Blaine, Closeted Character, Dalton Academy, Dalton Academy Warblers, Inspired by Love Simon, M/M, Online Friendship, Slow Burn, Warbler Kurt, closeted Kurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 73,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23087575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleefulDarrenCrissFan/pseuds/GleefulDarrenCrissFan
Summary: Summary:  Blaine Anderson is a typical teenager.  Except he’s not because he’s hiding a huge secret.  He’s gay.  But after reading a confession on the informal Dalton blog, he discovers that he’s not the only closeted boy at Dalton.  After a moment of courage, he emails him and ultimately starts up a friendship that will change life as he knows it. Loosely based on Love, Simon.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Jeff & Nick the Warbler (Glee)
Comments: 151
Kudos: 86
Collections: Blaine Big Bang 2020





	1. Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: So this is my contribution to the Blaine Big Bang. You might be familiar with the premise if you have ever seen Love, Simon. This will be loosely based on the movie, but if you have ever read any of my work before, you know I love a good plot twist. There is a reason I changed it to being on stage instead of a Ferris wheel because this is Blaine, the man that could perform in his sleep and is a humongous people pleaser. 
> 
> There will be quite a few letters exchanged between Blue and Tony (yes, I changed it from Jacque), so I changed the fonts to make it easier to follow. Blue’s letters are in italics and Tony’s letters are bold. I will maintain this format throughout. 
> 
> I do want to apologize for my tardiness. Between several medical emergencies and a beast of a story, it took me a lot longer than intended to finish this. I feel I definitely need to send out a thank you to everyone involved in finally help me finish this (My beta, Klainydayz, and my amazing friends kellyb321 and itsnoteasybeingqueen for reading over this in its early stages. You are all amazing.) Please check out the amazing cover art by lasagnaliz on her Tumblr. She really outdid herself with the little details. Without further adieu.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue comes across a post on the school's gossip site, Dalton Underground. The post is from a gay Warbler who is searching for someone he can talk to.

**Chapter 1**

Blaine stood at the mirror and smoothed down the last stubborn curl and secured it with more gel as music blared from his phone.

… _I am in Misery. There ain’t nobody who can comfort me. Why won’t you answer me? This silence is slowly killing me…_

“Jeff, don’t tell me. This is about that Dalton blog, right?” Blaine chuckled into his phone. 

“How did ya know?” Jeff asked, scandalized that his best friend already knew what he was going to say.

“Because you are obsessed with that blog. What is it this time? Did David sneak his girlfriend into his dorm again?”

“Yeah, but he was smart enough to not get caught this time,” the blonde laughed into his phone. “No, someone posted last night, late, after curfew.”

“Was it about our last impromptu performance? I thought we sounded pretty great and the guys in the senior commons seemed to get into it.”

“Nuh-uh. It was a confession. Someone’s gay.”

Blaine felt his breath catch in his throat for a moment. He exhaled slowly and tried to tell his heart to calm down. “Jeff, this is Dalton, a school full of boys. We already know that Dalton has had a few gay guys in the past. Heck, the headmaster’s son is gay.”

“No, this is a Warbler. One of the Warblers is gay.”

“Trent came out last year. It wasn’t like it was the secret of the century or anything,” Blaine chuckled. 

“No, this wasn’t Trent. It couldn’t have been because he said that he’s never told anyone. Everyone knows about Trent. This is someone else. He signed his confession as Blue. We don’t have anyone on the Warblers named Blue, at least not that I know of. Who do you think it is? Do you think it could be Thad? Oh my God! What if it’s Nick?” Jeff rambled. 

“Our Nick? Our best friend and my roommate? Really, Jeff? Do you think he’d post something like that on the school blog?” Blaine asked, slightly breathless as he hurriedly sat down at his laptop and opened up the browser to the academy’s unofficial Blog, _Dalton Underground_.

“Another gay Warbler? Do you think it could be Wes? He’s got that bromance thing goin’ with David, and they totally kissed at that party when they were dared by Andrew, and…”

“Jeff, I gotta go. Pavarotti just flew out of his cage again, and he’s flying all over my room, and if Nick comes in and he gets in the hallway again, I’m in big trouble. Later man,” Blaine lied and hit the end call button. He found the post on the blog Jeff told him about and he read it aloud, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. 

_Do you like to perform? Normally, I do. I mean, I am a Warbler but, sometimes, it feels like I’m always on stage in front of an audience with no script, no costumes, no make up. Just me and my life on display, performing in front of everyone, singing words I didn’t rehearse, serenading them with my life story, hoping to God that they think it’s worth a Tony rather than closure of the show and utter humiliation. Honestly, I feel like I’m acting because I am. My whole life, or at least a huge part of it, is one humongous lie._

_Here at Dalton, I feel like I have friends. The guys here at Dalton are great. They are kind and accepting. Well, they accept who they think I am. But I know that they may not be so open to me if they knew what I was hiding from them, what I’m hiding from everyone, even my own family. I’ve only recently admitted it to myself. And now, I’m going to admit it here._

_I’m gay._

_I’m gay, and I’m terrified of anyone finding out- of my whole fragile world falling apart. I’m afraid of everything in my world- changing, unraveling piece by piece as those people I call friends turn their backs and walk away from me, one by one, including my own father. It’s been such a long road for him and me, and we finally seem to get along. If I tell him, the relationship that we took so long to build would collapse in an instant._

_But I can’t hold this in anymore. I had to get it off my chest. I know this isn’t a real coming out because I think this is anonymous. I hope to God it’s anonymous because I’m not ready yet. I was just hoping that someone else would see this and understand so I didn’t feel so overwhelmed and alone._

_If there’s anyone out there that I can talk to, someone who maybe has a gay friend or family member or something, it’d certainly be nice to have a person to talk to about this. I’m leaving my email address. Maybe someone will drop me a message._

_I won’t hold my breath._

_Blue_

_Email:_ [ _Blue45801@_ ](mailto:Blue45801@gmail.net) [ daltonmail.com ](mailto:Smythes@daltonmail.com)

Blaine placed his hand over his heart, which was still pounding in his chest. Then, he felt his finger move to the mouse pad and click on the hyperlinked email address.

What the hell was he doing? He sucked in a breath and began typing frantically.

**Dear Blue,**

**I’m just like you. I know exactly what you mean about feeling like your life is a huge performance because I feel the same way. I’m a student at Dalton. My dad was a member of the student council and an all-star track student when he attended Dalton. My mom was Valedictorian at her high school. Both of my parents have their Master’s degree, and they are both important people here in Westerville. My brother was one of the most popular guys when he attended here at Dalton, and now he’s a local celebrity.**

**I have amazing friends. Two of them have been my friends since before Dalton. One of them is the son of my parents’ best friend. We’ve been at the same school together since preschool, and now he’s my roommate at Dalton. We often finish one another’s sentences. The other one is my roommate’s bestie, and when he introduced us, we immediately hit it off. We were like a tripod, always together. The other one is a girl that I only met last year at theater camp. We got along well there, but we didn’t exchange numbers or anything. Then, she and I showed up at the same community theater to audition for a show. We both decided it was fate, and we hang out as much as we can even though we go to different schools. I think both of our parents have even conspired to set us up with one another so that they could be related and spend more time with each other than they already do. She’s great. They all are. We do what kids our age do: drink too much coffee, watch old movies and hang out at the Lima Bean until they close.**

**So, as I said, I’m just like you. I have a totally, perfectly normal life. Except I have one huge secret. The same secret you have. I’m gay too, and I have never told anyone. Until you. I get it, feeling vulnerable and alone because I feel like I’m on that same stage performing for a crowd who is impossible to please, tomatoes in hand, ready to hurl them in my face.**

**And so I just thought I’d let you know that you aren’t the only one.**

**Write back if you want to chat. You don’t have to. I just kind of thought we could talk anonymously. I mean, I doubt that your real name is Blue unless your parents were trying to make some kind of statement, like Beyonce and Jay-Z, but I don’t think Jay-Z was a Dalton boy. Anyway, I hope to hear back from you.**

**Sincerely,**

**Tony (as in, future Tony Winner)**

Blaine exhaled loudly as he hit send, his mind racing as he wondered what in the hell he had just done. He had emailed a complete stranger and told him his deepest, most intimate secret. He dove into the depths of his soul and unloaded a secret so big that he felt lighter from the burden that had been weighing him down since he’d been thirteen and frightened in the locker room. He knew he was undeniably gay after he stood under the freezing cold water when his erection refused to go down after he spied the fencing captain stripping off his clothes so he could shower himself. Three years' worth of anxiety and worry felt like it was relaxing its tight hold on his mind as he imagined what it might be like to finally have someone to confide in who understood what he was feeling. 

Freedom. This was the feeling washing over him. 

And yet, he couldn’t breathe easier just yet. This person may not check his email, or he may regret posting his letter on the blog and delete the email. It could be a cruel joke someone was playing to find out if any more of the Warblers actually were gay. It was a running joke at Dalton that an all-male acapella show choir had to have at least a few members that identified as gay or at least bisexual, but all of the guys in question boasted of a girlfriend. Blaine knew that didn’t necessarily mean a thing. He had also had several girlfriends, and all that did was confirm the fact that he was definitely gay. Yep, all it took was one kiss with Rachel Berry, the girl playing Maria in Westerville’s Community theater production of West Side Story, to know that he didn’t have any interest in girls. 

Hell, one of his best friends was a girl, and although he thought she was beautiful, he wasn’t attracted to her in the least. Tina had flirted with him before, and he actually worried that she might’ve had a severe crush on him, but recently, Tina started dating a guy named Mike from her high school. Mike even hung out with them sometimes. 

Blaine felt his anxiety begin to creep back in as the realization rushed over him that this person, Blue, wasn’t a stranger at all. He was a Warbler, just like himself. Granted, the Warblers had grown in number since they won sectionals and Regionals the previous year. Now they were like rock stars. When the council held auditions for new members in August, they found themselves with twenty-four members, including several freshmen as well as a few new older members who had been too timid to join in previous years. It was likely that Blue was one of these new recruits, but which one?

Blaine grabbed a framed picture of the Warblers that had been taken right after the new inductees had taken the oath to secrecy (something required by the council since they had been infiltrated by spies before) and tried to remember the names of the other new recruits: Sebastian, Cameron, Mason, Skylar, Andrew, and Kurt.

It probably wasn’t Mason or Skylar. Mason always had a steady girlfriend at Country County Day, and she was all he ever talked about. Skylar just didn’t look the part. He was a jock that looked like he didn’t shower after he played a game. He also had a major fixation on Taylor Swift and her smokin’ hot body. 

There was Sebastian, who previously had spent time in Paris and had now come back to Ohio to spend time with his father. Blaine had definitely felt like the other guy had been flirting with him on multiple occasions, but he had never actually asked Blaine out or made any declarations to suggest that he was into guys. 

Cameron was quiet and shy, and Blaine didn’t really know anything about him besides that he was a new Warbler with a soft, baritone voice. His only close friend was Luke, who also joined the Warblers the previous year. He seemed nice enough, but Blaine was so busy he had never really taken the time to talk to him. 

It could be Andrew, the sassy Junior who’d suggested ‘Bills, Bills, Bills’ for Sectionals this year. Andrew was an athlete with a larger than life personality. He was unapologetic in everything he did, but that just made him more likable. The vote to make him a Warbler was unanimous. 

Or it could be Kurt Hummel, Jeff’s roommate and quirky friend. He had just transferred to Dalton last year, and Blaine had taken him under his wing and convinced him to audition at the beginning of the current year. He had made it in easily since he was the first counter-tenor Dalton had in over thirty years. 

What if it was Kurt? Blaine stared at the picture more closely and zeroed his eyes in on the pale-complected, sassy and fashionable boy that had wormed his way into the Warblers’ hearts so quickly that Blaine couldn’t imagine the group without him now. What if it was Kurt, the junior who loved musicals and had proven he could go toe to toe with anybody on the fencing team? What if it was him, the gorgeous brunette with a beautiful, slightly ditzy girlfriend from his previous school? 

No, it couldn’t be Kurt. Kurt was straight. And yet, supposedly, so was he. Blaine sighed and ran his hands through his hair, completely regretting sending that email. There was no way in hell he’d sleep tonight.


	2. Chapter 2- Guidelines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. Thanks so much for reading and I hope that you all are staying well right now.

**Chapter 2-Guidelines**

All of Blaine’s worry and anxiety had been for nothing. Blue never responded. Now, Blaine was even more concerned. Blue was a Warbler, and he was in the room right now listening to the council argue once again about song selection for regionals. Blaine sighed and attempted to refocus, failing miserably as his thoughts once again drifted off to the puzzle of Blue and whom it might be. 

“But it’s not in his natural key,” Thad argued.

“Of course not, because Beyonce happens to have a slightly wider range than our Blaine, but I'm confident that he can make it work,” Wes countered. “Although I’m not sure Bills, Bills, Bills sends the most positive message. How about Survivor? Blaine, what do you think?”

“Earth to Blaine!” David said, waving his hand in front of the lead singer. “You ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. Can we continue this discussion tomorrow? I have this paper due and I’m afraid I just can’t focus right now.”

Wes nodded. “You heard him, Warblers. Keep brainstorming more ideas for the final song for Regionals. Practice tomorrow at 5:00. Dismissed. Blaine, a word?” the captain said as the rest of the Warblers except the council members filed out of the room. “You ok? You seemed really distracted. Is it really a paper? Which class? English Lit? We could talk to the instructor and get you an extension, or we could lighten the load a little bit,” Wes said, and then bit his lip slightly. 

“Or is it something else? Are things at home ok? You know you can talk to us if needed.”

“No, no, no. Nothing like that,” Blaine smiled. “ I really am just tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Nick get ahold of a bad burrito again? I don’t blame you for crashing in our dorm after that,” David laughed. “I think your walls might have some permanent damage from the methane gas.”

Blaine chuckled. “No, it’s fine. I’ve got that big presentation next week, and I guess it’s been distracting me. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll be more focused tomorrow.” Blaine hesitated a moment and then added. “Hey, guys, have you ever read Dalton Underground?”

“I swear, I really was trying to help her get that stain out of her blouse,” David blurted.

“Oh, I’m sure you were, never mind what the stain was from in the first place,” Wes chuckled, grinning widely at his friend and roommate. Then, his face turned more serious. “Why? Is there something pertaining to the Warblers? Do I need to alert the headmaster about anything?”

“No, no, no. Just a bunch of gossip. Nothing to be troubled with,” Blaine sighed. 

“You mean, the supposed confession from the gay Warbler?” Thad asked.

“You read it?” Blaine asked in surprise.

“Of course I have, and I have to say that the guys from the Dalton wrestling team have reached a new low this time. They are trying to spice up the rumor mill and create drama. Although I do have to say they were a little more innovative this time,” Thad replied. “You know how jealous they are that our group actually wins and has people begging to join. Petty miscreants.”

“So you don’t believe the letter is authentic?” Blaine asked, attempting to work a loose curl back into place with his fingers. “There have been gay Warblers before, right, I mean besides Trent?”

Wes nodded. “My Freshman year. Percy, one of our tenors. I guess the rumors have persisted since. Does it bother you, a gay Warbler? I mean, you know that we have a non-discriminatory policy. We can’t exclude anyone based on race, sexual preference, or religion.”

“Of course not. No. I’d never want to discriminate against anyone. I mean, Trent is a friend as well as a team member. I guess I just wondered if you guys had read it and if you thought it had any merit.”

Wes frowned. “Regionals are in one month. I’m not giving merit to any sort of distraction meant to knock us off our game. They’re trying to steal focus. But we’ll show them when we bring home that title and are sent to Nationals. Now, go home and get some sleep. See you tomorrow in rehearsal. Bring your game face,” Wes smiled. 

“I would say I always do, but today sure was not a reflection of that. I promise I’ll be better tomorrow,” Blaine sighed, dropping his head as he stepped into the hallway and ran right into Kurt, causing the brunette to stumble and drop a stack of books from his hands.

Blaine immediately stooped down and began to pick them up when he suddenly froze. While most of the books were just textbooks, one was a magazine, Popular Mechanics. “I didn’t know you liked cars,” the soloist said as he handed the magazine back to Kurt. 

Kurt nodded as he continued to straighten and restack the books. “Um, yeah. My dad’s a mechanic. It’s something we bond over. I even help him in the garage sometimes, although not as much as I used to since he has Finn to help.”

“Finn’s your brother, right?” Blaine asked as he stacked the last book, pausing a little as his hand brushed Kurt’s hand.

Kurt looked at Blaine and nodded, “Yeah, my step-brother. He’s pretty cool.” He stood back up and readjusted the books in his hands. Blaine motioned ‘may I,’ and took half of them, and they started walking toward Kurt’s and Jeff’s room. 

“He’s the tall quarterback that’s dating Rachel, right?” 

“Yeah, I forget that you know Rachel. How’s rehearsal going?”

“For West Side Story? As good as it can be when I have to make out with a girl like Rachel on a daily basis,” Blaine said, then facepalmed when he realized that he just insulted one of Kurt’s friends. “I’m sorry. I know she’s your brother’s girlfriend.”

Kurt laughed. “Are you kidding?There had to be at least a dozen times that I wanted to tape her mouth shut while we were in Glee together. She can be absolutely intolerable. So don’t be sorry. Actually, I’m relieved that she gets to you too. I was beginning to think you were immune,” Kurt smiled. “ Besides, it’s not like you insulted my girlfriend.”

Blaine chuckled. “So how is Brittany? I know it must be harder on you two this year since you’re rooming at Dalton now,” Blaine stated.

“Yeah, a little. But we’re making it work. We talk and skype all the time. In fact, I just got off the phone with her. That’s why I had to leave Warbler practice early today. I had my phone on mute because you know how Wes is if one goes off in practice,” Kurt laughed. Blaine chuckled and did the cuckoo motion with his empty hand. “Anyway, my phone was buzzing like crazy, and it was Santana.”

Blaine cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry, who?”

“Britt’s best friend and admitted bitch of the Cheerios,” Kurt replied. “Santana texted me that if I didn’t answer, she’d sneak into my room and replace my hair spray with spray adhesive. So, I answered and she proceeded to tell me that Sue’s crossed over from nutcase to absolute psycho territory.”

“Sue, the crazy cheer coach? What did she do this time?” Blaine smiled

“Apparently, she’s trying to talk Brittany into being shot out of a canon, like they use for those circus acts or something,” Kurt replied.

“Wait, she’s trying to do what? Is she insane?”

“Certifiable,” Kurt replied. “When I was on the squad, she spiked my protein shakes with Visine so I’d lose those last ten pounds. All it accomplished was a horrified guidance counselor when I hurled all over her shoes. That just scored me more points in Sue’s book because she has some vendetta against Ms. Pillsbury,” Kurt laughed. 

Blaine cocked his head in disbelief. “Isn’t that extremely dangerous? Wait, you were a cheerleader?”

“Yes, and yes,” Kurt chuckled, “Hence why I quit the squad. But Brittany didn’t want to quit. She loves being a Cheerio. Wait, why aren’t we going back to practice?”

“Wes dismissed us early,” the lead warbler replied. 

“Wait, what? Was there a fire in his dorm or something? Wes never dismisses practice early. What’s wrong?”

Blaine shook his head. “It was all my fault. I tuned out of the conversation one too many times, and they took that as a sign that I needed to sleep,” Blaine replied as he started walking slowly down the hallway. Kurt paced along beside him. 

“Are you having trouble sleeping? You can borrow this. It always does the trick,” Kurt said, handing him a thick biography.

“Charlemagne. Yep, that would do it,” Blaine chuckled as they continued on down the hallway. “Unfortunately, I’ve already read it. I had that class last semester,” Blaine smiled, handing the book back to Kurt. “Besides, you’ll need it for research. You’ll have to write a pretty lengthy report on it at the end of the unit, and he’ll want you to cite page numbers in the references.”

“Oh dear god, are you serious? I wish I would’ve known that upfront. Why didn’t you warn me? You mean, I’m going to have to suffer through this stuff again?” Kurt groaned.

Blaine slowed his pace and smiled slightly at his friend. “I got an A on my report last semester. I could help you with it. It wasn’t that bad.”

Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand. Blaine felt his heart start to race as the brunette grinned in excitement. “Wait, seriously? That would be amazing! When will you be available so we can go over it?” Kurt exclaimed, still holding Blaine’s hand.

“I’d say this evening, but Wes will kill me if I come in tired and unfocused two days in a row, and then my weekend is jam-packed with this project. Maybe the Friday after next?” Blaine offered, hoping that Kurt didn’t notice that their hands were still joined.

Kurt let go of Blaine’s hand. “Can’t. Friday night dinners. Dad doesn’t like me to miss them. My brother usually has games as well. Brittany cheers as well, so I like to go and support them both. You know, be a good boyfriend and brother and such. Next Saturday?”

Blaine frowned at the loss of warmth from Kurt’s hand. “I can’t. I have practice at the community theater.” 

“Yes, of course,”Kurt smiled. “When’s the show?”

“In three weeks, which is good because we are nowhere near ready to put on this show in front of people. Tell you what. I’ll look through my old notes and see if I can find them, and we can go over them some time next week after Warbler practice. Will that work?” Blaine asked as they arrived at Kurt’s door.

“Sure, just text me. I’ll see you tomorrow at practice,” Kurt said as Blaine gave him the rest of his books back. “Thanks for the help.”

“You’re welcome,” Blaine smiled fondly as he turned around. Suddenly, he heard the chime of his notification on his phone. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the alert on his phone.

 _Email from_ [ _Blue45801@_ ](mailto:Blue45801@gmail.net) [ daltonmail.com ](mailto:Smythes@daltonmail.com)

Blaine cocked his head to the side and grinned widely, shoved his phone into his pocket and practically dashed to his bedroom, hurriedly unlocking his dorm door with his keycard and slamming it shut with such force that a picture frame fell off the wall. He shrugged, thinking he’d get it later. He quickly glanced around his room for any sign of Nick before sitting down at his laptop, turning it on, logging in to his email and pulling up the reply that he’d given up hope on ever receiving. 

He tapped his fingers on his desk nervously as he opened the message, hoping that he hadn’t overstepped in replying to Blue’s message, but his anxiety dissolved as soon as he read the greeting.

_Tony, eh,_

_You’re mighty sure of yourself, aren’t you?_

_As for Jay Z not being a former Dalton boy, damn! That was the whole reason I transferred here. It was all an elaborate ruse to get closer to the Queen B herself. Now, my plans are foiled. So thanks for that. And as my memory serves, Blue Ivy is their daughter, which means she can’t attend Dalton, so you’re correct in your assumption that Blue is not my real name, just like I will assume that your name isn’t actually Tony._

Blaine’s face erupted in a massive grin. Blue had an amazing wit about him, that was for sure. He scrolled down and continued reading. 

_Your family sounds great, although a little intimidating. So you have a relative that’s big stuff too, huh? I understand that completely._

_As for your friends, they sound wonderful. It actually made me tear up a little. I like Dalton, and the guys are a lot nicer than the kids at my former school, but I do miss my friends. I just don’t feel like I’ve been able to open up and show my true self here. I guess that’s why I snapped and posted my big confession on Dalton Underground. I was just fed up with feeling alone._

Blaine nodded as if his new friend could see him. He wished that he could. It’d be nice to talk openly and freely with someone about his sexuality or other things that mattered to him instead of being on autopilot and talking about the same old, same old. 

_So, how did it come about, your sexual awakening? When did you realize? I have to admit I started questioning things a few years ago when I saw the Avengers movies with my friends. One of my friends said Chris Evans was hot, and I had to bite my lip to keep from saying ‘hell yeah!’ Unfortunately, the locker room was where the actual realization hit. That’s where I went from believing that I was just a forward-thinking guy who could admit that another guy was attractive to taking cold showers to hide my arousal. I was terrified. I heard the insults and jokes they made about some of the other guys if they were dumped or failed to round the bases with their girlfriends. Sometimes, they were even directed at me until one of the other guys pointed out that I scored the winning points in the only game we won that season and I had a girlfriend, unlike half of them. It shut them up for a while._

_As for the coffee thing, our school has a Keurig in the lounge. What did you expect? I, myself, would be much bitchier and less alert without my caffeine fix, especially with the reading material some of my instructors have assigned lately. I mean, at this point, I might as well just gnaw on the coffee beans while drinking Red Bull if I have any hope in making it through this text. Kill me now!_

_I must say, I was relieved to receive your email. I totally panicked after I posted on the site, and I deleted it the next morning when I realized how stupid I had been to broadcast my secret like that. I was honestly shocked that the word GAY wasn’t stamped on my forehead or that the Warblers didn’t stampede my room with a medley of Diana Ross songs this morning. (Sigh.) I did hear some chatter about the gay Warblers in the cafeteria today, but I have been hearing those same imbeciles making those same lame jokes since I transferred here. I’m guessing very few people actually saw my confession. I’m glad you did though. It’s actually a huge relief that I have someone to confide in now, and that I’m not alone._

_That being said, I thought we needed to set some guidelines. I mean, we both seem to be safeguarding this secret, and I’m honestly not ready to come out. I suspect that you aren’t either (hence, the reason you called yourself Tony.) I know for a fact that there are currently no Warblers with that name (I checked). So, here’s what I propose:_

  * _No specifics about our friends and family. If you notice, I kept things very vague. But what kind of friendship would that be? Personally, you may vent to me about anything. Just change the names and specific details to protect the innocent._


  * No meetings. I mean, we probably know each other anyway, and anything like a date or arranged meeting could turn into a big scene or an accidental outing, and I don’t want that. 


  * This stays platonic. Yes, I know this sounds quite egotistical of me, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I want one eventually, but not if we couldn’t be out in public and just be ourselves without the fear of being ridiculed or persecuted.
  * This is a safe place. No judgments, no criticism, although I won’t promise there won’t be a snarky retort every now and then. We can speak freely and openly. I mean, I already know your deepest, darkest, secret. You might as well spill your guts. 



Blaine already felt comfortable spilling his guts to this stranger, although he wasn’t quite sure why that was. Actually, when he responded to Blue’s original message, he’d hope that they could meet in person. However Blue wasn’t comfortable with that yet, so he’d respect the above terms in hopes that Blue would one day become more open to the idea of them meeting face to face. Although he wondered why he cared so much already. He had no idea who he was talking to. This guy could be a total jerk. For all he knew, it could be Sebastian. Sebastian was new to the Warblers. What if the guy he was speaking to was that pompous jerk who always insulted Jeff and Nick? Blaine sighed and continued reading. 

_So, are you still interested in whatever this is we’ve started? If not, you don’t even have to reply. I understand that I may be asking a bit more than you bargained for, but I just don’t want this to turn into some big blown up mess. I mean, I started this by posting on that site, and you were gracious enough to reach out in my moment of need, and I just don’t want to be the reason that your or my secrets are revealed to the masses. I swear that I will adhere to these guidelines as well._

Blaine nodded his head in agreement as if his friend could see him and smiled as he scrolled down to read the next paragraph. 

_I hope to hear from you soon, but I will understand if we part ways here. Regardless, I thank you deeply, from the bottom of my heart for letting me know I’m not the only one._

_Sincerely,_

_Blue_

Blaine breathed in deeply as he read back through the final paragraphs. This guy was right when he said that he might sound egotistical. Who did this guy think he was?

Although at second glance, he appreciated the blatant honesty that Blue used. It was actually everything he ever wanted and more from a friendship. No anxiety or fear of judgment. No agreeing to everything to win approval. No extreme gestures to try to make a good impression. Here was a chance to just have an open, honest friendship with someone who already seemed to understand him more deeply than anyone ever had before. Without even taking another moment to reconsider, he began typing a response. He smiled giddily as he thought of the mysterious, quirky stranger who would hopefully respond to his message quickly. Of course, he’d have to send it first. 

**Dear Blue,**

**As for being sure of myself, a lot of people would agree with that description of me except for my closest friends. They know better. I have a good show face, and I’m great at masking my true anxieties, but my best friends call me out on it when they are around. What can I say? It’s in my blood to be a performer, and a good actor never shows his true feelings on stage, although my brother would completely disagree with that statement.**

**You caught me. Tony is indeed not my real name, although it has a nice ring to it. : >D. And I guess now that you asked that we don’t reveal any more personal details, we’ll stick to the pseudonyms we picked for ourselves. As long as you don’t mind, neither do I. **

**I’m sorry you feel alone here, and I understand that feeling completely, even though I have had some of the same friends for a while. I believe that the reason I feel this lonely is most likely because I’m not completely being honest with them about my true identity. Once again, it’s like I’ve got this mask on, and I’m playing the part expected of me, being the same boy they’ve always known. Part of me wants to tell them. I almost expect one of them to blurt out that he’s known all along. But then, they make some joke or comment that makes me think that’s not the case at all. (Sigh.) Then, I feel confused all over again and even more alone. In all honesty, I was so relieved that you posted your confession because I felt like finally, someone else knew how I felt, and I didn’t have to keep this to myself anymore.**

**I’m sorry you miss your friends. Do you still keep in touch with any of them? Damn it! I so want to ask where you transferred from, but you asked for no specific details which, I realize now, is going to be so much more difficult than I thought it’d be when I started to compose this message. But don’t worry. I’ll be like the little engine that could and say, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I- well, you get the point. I’ll try to be discreet. LOL. Anyway, maybe you could skype with them or do a video chat or something. I know it isn’t the same thing, but it’s better than nothing. I do that with my brother since he lives so far away. I was about to name the city. Damn this stipulation! I hope to God that I am never interrogated. I am obviously not good at keeping things to myself, or maybe I just feel a connection to you and that’s the reason I keep wanting to spill my guts. Yeah, I’ll go with that.**

**My sexual awakening? Um, I was a Freshman, and we were doing a movie night here. Actually, it was similar to your situation in that it was also a Chris from the Avengers, but it was Hemsworth instead of Evans. I know, I know, it’s so predictable. I mean, he’s a former ‘Sexiest Man Alive,” but yeah, I remember thinking he could hammer me all he wanted. Sorry, that was crass of me, but you asked, right? You said this was a safe place with no judgment or criticism, and so I guess I’m just testing the waters. Although, I have to admit that I was turned off when he lost an eye in** **Thor: Ragnarok. After that, I didn’t fantasize about him quite so much.**

**The only winning game? Dang it! Once again, I want more details. I’m an athlete too. Though I won’t say what I participate in, I have participated in multiple sports, although I wasn’t good at all of them. This anonymous thing kinda sucks. But I’ll play along because I want to respect your wishes.**

**I myself have had to resort to gnawing on coffee beans and consuming too many energy drinks to keep up with the curriculum and activities at Dalton, but at least it’s common practice here. As for the reading, some of the books put me to sleep as well. We have so many amazing current authors with modern stories. I mean, hello! Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and there’s this fairly new series, called the World of Stories, (or something like that?) that I’d love to read if I had the time, but no. Our curriculum directors insist on having us read everything Chaucer, Dickens, and Shakespeare ever wrote. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think they all wrote some masterpieces, but who’s to say that classics aren’t being written right now as well. I’d like a chance to choose for myself. Oh, and by the way, I doubt that you really sound bitchy. I didn’t pick up on that vibe at all in either of your messages.**

**Anyway, I saw that you deleted your post because I went back to make sure that I got your email address correct when you didn’t respond right away. I guess I was nervous that it was some prank, or that maybe I sent the email to the wrong address and someone emailed it to my parents or something. I must say that I did hear a little buzz about a gay Warbler, but as you said, that’s nothing new. You know how some people are. Their team isn’t winning, so they have to trash the guys that are. I think some guys are just jealous. As they should be. The Warblers are like rock stars.**

**So I guess by now, you can tell that I accept your guidelines, although it won’t be easy on me to keep my mouth shut. However, if you can do it then so can I. As for the no meetings, what’s to say that we haven’t met already? Heck, we could be in the same boarding hall for all we know. I guess I can’t even talk about the crazy shenanigans that go on in my dorms. Boo! That would’ve been fun because some of the guys pull off some outrageous pranks. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to keep tight-lipped on those too.**

**As for the platonic thing, I guess that’s a given since we can’t go into specifics about ourselves. I mean, for me to get involved with anyone, I will have to feel a genuine connection with them. I don’t want it to be a superficial attraction. When I fall in love, it will be with someone who is my soulmate, a person that balances me out and calms me down when things get crazy. Yes, physical attraction is important, but there is so much more to it. It will be with someone I can truly be myself around, someone who sees my flaws and still wants to be with me anyway, someone who loves me for who I am and not who I pretend to be. Yes, I’m a cheesy romantic, but girls aren’t the only ones that want their Prince Charming.**

**As for guideline four, I think I spilled my guts, and it’s time for you to spill yours some more before I say anything else. I hope I didn’t scare you off with any of this. And I owe you a big thanks too. As I said, I was in the same boat, feeling alone, and now I don’t, so we did each other a favor. I can’t wait to read your response and see if you are any better at avoiding details than I am.**

**Sincerely,**

**Tony**

Blaine proofread his message for mistakes and quickly hit send, filled with a sense of hope that he’d hear from his new friend soon. He opened a document he had been working on for his English Literature project and attempted to work on it, but he couldn’t stop thinking of the message he had just sent. Was it too much? Did it sound needy? Was he too stalkerish with his remarks that he wished they could share more personal information? Did he sound pathetic when he said he felt lonely? His stomach was in knots as he sighed and closed out of the report in frustration. There was no way he’d be able to finish his part of the assignment in the state he was in. He picked up his iPhone to make a call when a notification popped up on his laptop.

 **Incoming Email from Email from** [ **Blue45801@** ](mailto:Blue45801@gmail.net) [ daltonmail.com ](mailto:Smythes@daltonmail.com)

Blaine immediately clicked on the alert and opened the email. 

_Dear Tony,_

_Oh my God, you don’t know how relieved I was to receive your reply. After I sent the last email, I was terrified that I sounded like a crazy person and that you’d want nothing to do with me. Not only did your quick response calm my racing mind, but I also had to check that you actually sent it because I could’ve composed the first paragraph. That is exactly what my friends would say about me. Have you ever heard the song “The Great Pretender”? It’s by the Platters originally but then Freddy Mercury did a cover too, and I think it sums me up pretty well. My girlfriend (yes, I know, I know. I’m such an awful person, but she’s amazing, and I haven’t found the courage to admit to her that I’m gay) tells me that I am very different when it’s just us, and she prefers that version of me because it’s more open and honest. I told her I’m guarded, and that’s the truth, but that’s only part of it. I’m terrified. I’m not popular by any means, but I have friends, and my family is great. But I’m scared that all of that will fall apart or I’ll lose everything I know in an instant. And so, I keep performing, pretending to be something I’m not, hoping that everything won’t all come crashing down if my secret comes out._

Blaine completely understood what Blue was saying. Hell, he could’ve written the paragraph himself. 

_You have a brother? I thought we said nothing personal? I’m kidding. I have one too. I figure that’s safe to tell you because you disclosed that tidbit to me first, and you didn’t say his name. I know quite a few Dalton boys have brothers so we still have anonymity, right? But like I said, no names. But when I started typing this, I realized that part would be difficult for me as well, especially with you raising such good questions. I totally wanted to answer them. Damn you. Alas, I denied you the pleasure this time, I think?_

_To answer your question, yes. I still keep in touch with my friends. We talk regularly, but I do miss them regardless. I’m sorry you miss your brother. I’m glad that you keep in touch with him as well. I want to ask where he lives. Damn, those stupid guidelines I asked for. But, they are necessary, so even if I beg, don’t tell me._

_Oh my God! Chris Hemsworth! So that’s your type? Muscles and dashing good looks? It’s a good thing we agreed that this stays platonic because I look nothing like him. Granted, I’ve been told I’m a good looking guy, but I’m no Thor._

Blaine closed his eyes for a second and tried to imagine what Blue looked like. He grabbed the framed picture of the Warblers off his desk nightstand and tried to determine who it was and sighed. Although he knew there were a few people he could rule out, like Wes (not formal enough) Trent (already out) Jeff (no brothers) or Thad (very little sense of humor). It definitely wasn’t David, because David was painfully straight. Blaine laughed from relief because he didn’t want Blue to be any of those guys. 

_I’m totally scandalized by your crass hammer joke. I’d be covering my mouth in horror if I hadn’t had that same damn thought multiple times while watching those movies, although I agree about the scene where he loses the eye or when he became unkempt. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not fat-shaming him or anything. I’m just not attracted to all of the body hair and poor self-care habits. Maybe that makes me a snob, but we said this was a safe place and that’s how I feel._

_Yes, I am a bit athletic, but not in a conventional way, and no I won’t elaborate on that right now. I do take pride in exercise and taking care of myself. So, you are an athlete too? Now, I kind of want to break my anonymous rule and ask which ones. You sneaky, sneaky man. But, I’m not going to ask. Nope. This is me not asking._

_You mentioned some great books, and all I have to say is read them anyway. You don’t need to wait for them to be assigned. If I had done that in my previous school, the only books I would’ve read would be Captain Underpants because those books kept popping up in our school library. I’m like, seriously? There are so many amazing authors out there, and we get Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets. Although our librarian was so elderly that she probably thought this was what everybody wanted to read, and judging by some of the Neanderthals I went to school with, she may not have been too far off base. And hey, Dickens and Shakesphere had some great works, although there’s a few that I feel have been overdone now. I mean, A Christmas Carol and Romeo and Juliet are both great, but do we really have to read them when some of their lesser works are just as brilliant? I for one wanted to convince Mr. Harris to let us read “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” instead, but I was denied. Pardon me for wanting to revive a classic._

He loved that Blue was such an avid reader, although you kind of had to be at Dalton. Blue had a point about reading what you wanted to read. Blaine made it a habit to read books that weren’t on the reading list when he had a chance. Right now, though he didn’t even have time to be reading this email. 

_Thanks for saying I don’t sound bitchy, but that makes me wonder if we haven’t actually met, because I’m an admitted bitch sometimes. Not as much here as my previous school, but there I kind of had to be, because if I didn’t speak up about certain things, no one would. I have to admit speaking out like I did kind of got me into trouble. It may be the reason I’m here, and so, maybe it’s best to learn to say things a little more tactfully._

Blue did have an honest way about him, as far as Blaine could tell, and it was a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, at Dalton, they were expected to be polite at all times. You could get detention for speaking your mind against the wrong instructor. It’s one way that Blaine was assured that Blue had to be fairly new at Dalton. Blue just had this quality where he still spoke his mind despite the fact that it could get him reprimanded. Blaine admired that trait to the point that he wished he had it himself. He read on. 

_As for your take on romance, did you type that or did I? That’s exactly how I feel. I’m a cheesy romantic and would absolutely adore a big, romantic gesture. Hell, flowers and a thoughtful date would be enough to make me swoon, but I have given up hope on that for now, at least until I get out of Ohio. I mean, even though it’s more acceptable to be gay now than it was in past years, some people are still jerks and homophobes. I honestly thought about waiting to come out until I get to college, far far away from Westerville. And yet, here I am, out, at least to one person, and contemplating telling my family sometime before graduation. (No, I’m not telling you what grade I’m in, at least not yet.)_

_And, I think I am a little better at avoiding details than you are, maybe just a little. But we shall see._

_Sincerely,_

_Blue_

Blaine immediately began typing his reply, forgetting about the essay he was supposed to finish tonight. He’d get to it later. Some things were more important, right?

**Dear Blue,**

**So I’m really being irresponsible here and replying to this instead of working on this massive project that I have due Monday, but I wanted to respond.**

**As for the Great Pretender, are you kidding? I’m a big Queen fan, and so that carries over to Freddy Mercury. I mean, the man’s voice was one of a kind. Actually, my roommate threatened that if he had to hear “Don’t Stop Me Now,” one more time, my iPod would be found at the bottom of his fish tank. And so, now I’ve switched to Bohemian Rhapsody. He complained at first, but then we were both playing air guitar and headbanging until we both had migraines. I’ve been trying to talk the Warblers into singing that song, but they told me it’d be pretty near impossible to do it acapella. Although we finally do have a countertenor now, someone could hit the high notes. However, I heard Vocal Adrenaline already did that one for Regionals a few years ago, and it was incredible, so maybe we’ll just have to settle for another song. Boo. :(**

**As for being a pretender, um yeah. I get that completely. I’ve even had a girlfriend or two, but it just never lasted more than a week because the spark just wasn’t there. Actually, it was that lack of spark with any girl that helped me realize that I was gay. I won’t judge you for having a girlfriend, though I would encourage you not to string her along. If she’s really into you, she could end up getting hurt.**

**Yes, I have a brother, but he’s older than I am, and unfortunately, we aren’t that close anymore. He tries, and we do have some things in common, but we have very different personalities that make us clash. Some may say that we are too alike in some ways as well, and that could be the actual reason we aren’t close. Yes, anonymity sucks. I so want to say his name right now, but I will not.**

**In all honesty, there’s plenty of eye candy in the Avengers. Tom Holland, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, RDJ, all easy on the eyes. To be fair, very few guys look like Chris Hemsworth, and I don’t actually think he’s my type. There’s such a thing as being too ripped. I think I’d feel much too self-conscious about myself if I had a boyfriend who looked like that. As I said before, I’m an athlete so I do work out and try to stay in shape, but I’m not what you’d call a gym junkie by any means. Actually, most of my friends say that I spend more time with my nose in a book than at the gym.**

**I don’t think that you sound like a snob at all. You have a right to state what you are and aren’t attracted to. And I’m not offended because I’m put off by the same thing. If I go out, I want to look nice, and that means that I want my date to look nice too.**

**As far as the books go, that’s some good advice. I think that I will indulge in some of those, but I can’t right now. I’m barely keeping my head above water with the workload I currently have. My friends all say that I’m the classic overachiever, and they’re right. I’m involved in sports, community activities, and extracurricular clubs. I like to stay busy, and I have a problem saying no to people when they ask me to join things. Earlier, I just agreed to help a friend on a project when I’m extremely behind on my own. Yet, it’s 11 P.M. and I haven’t gotten very far because I’ve been having this wonderful conversation with you, and I don’t want to stop. But I must.**

**As for that particular Captain Underpants, it was a good one. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. I’m just kidding. I don’t like potty humor, but I have a few friends that use it and have read all of those books. I say if it gets people reading, then it can’t be all bad. I have read a Christmas Carol recently, and though I enjoyed it, I have to say that I agree with your statement about it being too widely used in our culture. I much prefer Oliver Twist and a Tale of Two Cities. As for a Midsummer's Night Dream, I haven’t read that one yet, but now I will be putting it on my reading list.**

**Hey, none of that, calling yourself names. Being honest and speaking your mind is not being bitchy. I have a deep respect for anyone who has the courage to speak out against injustice of any kind. I’m extremely tactful in nature, but I do think it’s important to have the courage and speak up for what’s right. I say that, and yet I don’t have the courage to tell my own family the truth about me. I guess I sound like a huge hypocrite, don’t I?**

**There’s nothing wrong with being a romantic. My parents are both sentimental saps. My dad enlisted me to help him with this slideshow presentation he’s making for their anniversary, and though it’s sweet, I’m thinking, man, step it up. It looks like a fourth grader made it. Sigh. At least he tries. I offered to help give it some pizazz. See, I told you I overextend myself.**

**Yes, I do fear that you may be worse than I am about not revealing details about yourself. I must step up my game, and so I must end this here and finish this report or my roommate and partners on the project will kill me, and this will be the last you’ll hear from me.**

**If I do not respond for a few days, send out a search party, because I fell asleep without completing my part. As relaxed as I already feel talking to you, I don’t regret it one bit, although I might tomorrow. So until the next time, sweet dreams,**

**Your friend,**

**Tony**

Blaine hit send as he yawned heavily. He opened his Word document back up to continue where he left off, only to yawn once more and lay his head on his desk for a moment just to rest. His eyes closed involuntarily as he drifted off to sleep. 


	3. consequences of Procrastination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine is behind on his project after spending the previous night writing Blue instead of working on his project. His friends offer to help him out.

**Chapter 3-Consequences of Procrastination**

**“** So, I told Sebastian you had a good reason for not sending your notes on our Dickens project to him last night. You do have a good excuse, right?” Nick questioned as he fixed his hair in the mirror in the room they shared.

“Um, yeah, I tried to finish, but I got distracted, I guess. I’m sorry,” Blaine said apologetically, letting his eyes wander to the ground. 

“You didn’t go on another Katy Perry binge, did you?” Nick teased, but then his expression changed as he sat down next to his roommate. “Are you ok? You look rough. Did you sleep much at all? I mean, I figured when I saw your mop of curls on your keyboard that you must’ve fallen asleep working on it. How much do you still need to do?”

“I’ve got some of it, but I’m embarrassed to say that I’m not close to being finished yet,” Blane admitted. 

“Well, then, maybe you’ll actually be relieved and not pissed when I tell you what kind of developed in last period. As I said, I suspected that you were a little behind so I asked Jeff to come over and help out.”

Blaine gave his best friend a hug. “Man, seriously. Thank you. That’ll be great! Why would I be pissed?”

“Because Jeff isn’t the only one that will be coming. Our other partner overheard the conversation and invited himself as well.”

“Wait, Sebastian is coming here! Dammit, Nick! You know I don’t want him in our room.”

“I know man. I’m sorry. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He said it was his grade too, and he felt obligated to give his assistance.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “I’m sure he does. I might feel obligated to give him assistance too, out the window on his ass. How long until they get here?”

At that moment, there was a knock on the other side of the door. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Blaine sighed as Nick answered the door.

“Hey, man. Nick said you’ve been crazy busy, and that you were a little behind with the research so I offered my assistance. I brought some snacks and some coffee. Medium drip, right?” Jeff asked. 

Blaine smiled and took the beverage. “Yeah, thanks, man. I’ve just been bombarded lately with Warbler practice, play rehearsals, classes, fencing. I think I’ve just stacked my plate too full. Thank you.”

“Sure. That’s what we do. Besides, how many times have you bailed my procrastinatin’ ass out of trouble? And this is a group effort. Just tell me where you want me to start,” Jeff said, laying down the snacks. 

Nick shoved an oatmeal raisin cookie in his mouth and started laying out books on the table. “Damn, Jeff!” Nick moaned, his mouth still full of the warm cookie. “You outdid yourself wif deez. They’re delicious!”

Jeff chuckled. “Swallow first, then talk.”

“That’s what she said,” Nick retorted, laughing so hard that a little piece of cookie flew out of his mouth.

“You two are so juvenile,” Blaine laughed, grabbing a cookie. “Although they do smell amazing. Did you pilfer them from the snack bar or did you sweet talk the lunch ladies again?”

“You doubt my pastry chef skills?” Jeff pouted, placing his hand over his chest. “That hurts, man.”

“Oh please, Jeff. We all remember the time you put 1⁄4 of a cup of baking soda into the cake batter instead of 1⁄4 of a teaspoon. They almost had to pump David’s stomach,” Nick chuckled, as he took a bite of another cookie. “Seriously, who made these?”

“Fine. Kurt did. He said something about owing you one for volunteering to help him with his Charlemagne report. When is this little study session going down, since you barely have time to breathe right now?” Jeff asked.

“Next week. After we present this. I’m just going to go over my notes with him for a little bit to help him get started. He was panickin’ and I wanted to help him out. He’s a good guy,” Blaine smiled. “He must be, if he can make cookies like this. These are better than your mom’s.” Blaine said, gesturing to Nick. 

“Don’t let her hear you say that. She uses her grandmother’s recipe, and she’ll take it personally,” Nick laughed. “So, did Sebastian change his mind about dropping in? I really think the three of us can handle it.”

“Oh that’s too bad,” Sebastian said as he slinked through the doorway and immediately snatched a cookie from the tin. “Because if you really think I’m going to allow you three to do this assignment without my input when it’s a quarter of our grade, then the three of you really must be denser than I thought, though I wasn’t giving much credit to Blondie in the first place. I mean, not if that haircut is any indication of any brains beneath that mop,” Sebastian sneered. “Although, I wasn’t referring to you, Blaine. I’ve always been quite impressed with your insights on Dickens. Speaking of _Dick ins_ , have you heard the latest gossip on Dalton Underground? Apparently, there’s another gay Warbler. Well, I believe there are several, but this guy apparently came out anonymously on there, although one could hardly call that coming out of the closet if he didn’t even sign his real name.”

“What’s it to you, Sebastian? It’s his coming out. He can do it however he pleases,” Nick snapped. 

“True, but he had to have used the most pathetic method possible,” Sebastian laughed as he sat down on Blaine’s bed. “Wouldn’t you agree, Blaine?’ he asked, patting Blaine’s shoulder. 

Blaine flinched and pulled back from Sebastian’s reach. “Actually, not at all. I agree with Nick. He has the right to come out the way he wishes.”

“I agree too,” Jeff chimed in,’ brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

“I don’t remember asking you, Beiber, or even Dave Seville over there,” Sebastian said, pointing at Nick. “Although it makes sense that the three of you would stick up for this guy since any one of you three could be this Blue character.”

“Wait, excuse me? How do you figure?” Jeff asked, in confusion.

“Oh please, Jeff. Everyone knows that isn’t your natural hair color, although you sure go through a lot of trouble to get it treated in the hope that no one notices. A straight guy wouldn’t bother. And Blaine picks some mighty feminine song selections, and he is much too finicky about his hair. Not to mention, with as many girls as hit on him, he still never seems to have a girlfriend. And although Nicholas puts on a pretty convincing show that he’s straight, I’ve seen how he acts in the locker room after Lacrosse practice. Why would someone go change in the stall when no one else does? Either little Nicholas is more like Tiny Tim than he’d like to admit or he’s trying to prevent an involuntary salute to all the naked bodies in the room. Which is it, there, Nicholas?”

“Option three. I like my privacy, and my body is none of your business, Smythe. And why the hell are you even paying so much attention to me in the locker room?”

“Because it comes in handy sometimes, paying attention to things, picking up details that others don’t bother to look for. Most people are too wrapped up in their own lives to even see what’s in front of them. I, on the other hand, am a detail person. You never know when those details might come in handy. Like Blaine, for example. He’s sweating right now and staring at the floor as if he wants to be swallowed whole by it, like he’s extremely uncomfortable,” Sebastian smirked. “Or Jeffrey. He may need someone to inform him of the way you stare at him when he isn’t looking, Duval, almost like you are daydreaming about him, or hell, you could just be blinded by his hair, I don’t know,” Sebastian laughed. “Details like that.”

“Oh shut the hell up, Sebastian,” Jeff replied rolling his eyes. “If you really knew anything about us, you’d know Blaine is sweating and glaring like that because he’s extremely annoyed. I mean, some pesky guy that resembles a South African rodent invited himself over to his dorm room and made ignorant remarks, and Blaine here loathes stupidity. And Nick was trying to make eye contact with me because we’ve known each other long enough that we usually know what each other is thinking before the other one even has to say a word. The look Nick was giving me was the one he always wears when he’s sick of someone’s bullshit. By the way, my hair is highlighted, not dyed, which you’d know if you had an ounce of knowledge about what’s in style and what went out nearly three decades ago, like, for example, your hairstyle. So, if you’re done spewing out your petty, useless observations, I’d say we get to work so we can finish and you can get the hell out of here,” Jeff said with a grin.

Blaine bit his lip to stifle the laughter threatening to escape his mouth as Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he huffed, crossing his arms. “I was just kidding, but obviously, none of you can take a joke. Of course, it’s not any of you. The only Warbler whose face screams gay is Hummel. I mean, he claims to have a girlfriend, but he ain’t foolin’ anybody,” Sebastian scoffed. “Anyway, since you boys obviously don’t want me here, I’ll just be going,” Sebastian said as he snatched a few more cookies and reached down to grab his satchel. “However, since this is my grade too, I expect to see what you’ve done by tomorrow so I have time to familiarize myself with the concepts before I add my insights. I have lacrosse practice early in the morning, so I do believe that I’ll turn in early. Blaine, I’ll send you a reminder email and you can just send it to me when you finish, ‘kay?” Sebastian said, resting his hand on Blaine’s shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze before turning toward the door. “Later, Blaine,” he said as he exited the room, allowing the door to slam behind him.

Nick burst out into laughter. “Damn, Jeff. And that’s how you roast a jackass!” He laughed as he playfully slapped his friend’s back. “So Blaine, where do you want us to start?” he asked as he grabbed a file box from beside his bed and began spreading it out on the table.

“A Christmas Carol, Stave four,” Blaine answered as he pulled up the document that he’d been typing the previous night before he had gotten distracted by Blue’s emails.

Jeff smiled. “Oh, that’s a good part. Where did you get stuck though? It’s fairly straight-forward, with the ghost of Christmases Yet to Come showing him his own future grave. It was his moment of epiphany.” 

“Well, I guess it was just the realization that he had been a certain way his whole life, believing life to be a certain way, and then he just does a one-eighty, and his life changes for the better. I think what really got me is that he has changed, and everyone embraced him and even liked him more afterward. I just started wondering if it’s actually that simple.”

“What?” Jeff asked, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. 

“For something, someone, to change in a moment,” Blaine answered with a sigh. “Not only how you see everything, but how everyone sees you.” Blaine runs his hand over his curls. “Do you think it’s possible?”

“Yeah, I guess so. If someone wanted to change badly enough. As for the people around him accepting him, I believe that the people who really care about you are still going to be there, and especially in the case of Scrooge. I mean, that is who we’re talking about, right?” Jeff asked.

Blaine cleared his throat and eyed the floor. “Um, yeah. Of course. Scrooge. Yes. Um, Nick, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Oh, that’s just my phone,” Jeff replied, checking his messages. “Nick, I’m in the room. You don’t need to text me when I’m right here,” he said with a grin. “Especially to ask me to get us some more coffee. Unless, you were trying to hint that this was going to be a long night and we’d need it because Blaine is-” Jeff stopped. “Oh, yeah. Coffee is good. I’ll be back in a jiffy. Another medium drip for Blaine, right?”

Nick nodded. “Yep, and you know what I like, right?”

“A peppermint mocha,” Jeff smiled. “Of course I do. But I can’t get that from the lobby. Since I’m apparently running out to the coffee shop, do you guys need anything else or will the twenty minutes I’ll be gone be enough time to discuss whatever it is you don’t feel like you can discuss in front of me, or do I need to linger somewhere?” Jeff teased.

“Nope, that should be adequate,” Nick chuckled. “Thanks, man.”

“Just so you know, I’ll be pissed if I find out that you two are going to discuss what a big imbecile Sebastian is without me,” Jeff said, sounding scandalized as he turned the doorknob.

“No, trust me, we would never do that without you because nobody can hand his ass to him on a platter like you can. And honestly, I really am craving a peppermint mocha,” Nick smiled at his friend.

“Fine. I’ll be back in a little bit. Try to get something done while I’m gone, will you?” Jeff said, closing the door behind him.

“Alright, spill Nick. What was that all about?”

“What do you mean, ‘what was that all about?’ I sent him away for your benefit. Because I need to talk to you about something. About something Sebastian said,” Nick said, avoiding eye contact with his best friend. 

“About the possibility of one of us being gay?” Blaine replied, biting down on his lip as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “You know that he was just being an ass, right?”

“But he wasn’t wrong,’ Nick mumbled, “about that. About us, one of us. Blaine, how do you know if you are gay?” 

“If _I’m_ gay or if someone else is?” Blaine squeaked. “I uh, well I guess, I guess, you get aroused at the sight of, you know, dicks instead of, um, damn, I-” Blaine stammered nervously. “How did you know?” Blaine’s head jerked up. “Oh my God! Are you Blue?”

“Of course, I’m Blue,” Nick replied, his hands jammed into his pockets. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite thing in the world is hearing from you guys even if it's a smiley or a simple message. I love knowing that my work was enjoyed by someone else. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Stay well.


	4. Mixed Messages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine goes to help Sebastian with visual aids. Blaine gets more messages from Blue.

**Chapter 4-Mixed Messages**

“If I’m gay?” Blaine squeaked. “I uh, well I guess, I guess, you get aroused at the sight of, you know, dicks instead of, um, damn, I- how did you know?” Blaine’s head jerked up. “Oh my God! Are you Blue?”

“Of course, I’m blue,” Nick replied.

“Wait, you are?” Blaine stared intently at his best friend and roommate.

“Wouldn’t you be? I almost wonder if I’m on the verge of going insane. I’m confused as hell. I mean, first I get this epiphany that I’m in love with my best friend, and then I get questioned about it by the biggest douchebag in school. Am I that obvious?”

“So wait, you’re gay?”

“I don’t know. I think so,” Nick said, shaking his head. He sighed deeply as he rested his head in his palm. “Hell, I don’t know. I mean, I’m in love with a guy, so doesn’t that mean I’m gay?”

“So wait, you’re in love with me?” Blaine asked in shock.

Nick’s head jerked up and he scooted back on the bed. “What? No. No! Our other best friend. Jeff. That best friend. Although you are a great guy, and you’re cute, I guess, but I just don’t think of you that way, and you aren’t gay, and this is really awkward, and oh God! Jeff is going to react the same way, isn’t he?” Nick ran his fingers through his hair, obviously distraught. 

Blaine took a deep breath and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Wait, so you’re in love with Jeff? And you’re Blue? The guy that posted on Dalton Underground?’

“In love with Jeff, yes. Am I the guy on the internet? No. I didn’t write that, although I wanted to respond. I was too afraid.” Nick’s eyes darted around the room as if he was still nervous to look his friend in the eye. “Blaine, I’m terrified. I’m questioning everything I ever thought about myself. I could lose my best friend. There’s no way I can even begin to imagine my life without him. What the hell do I do? I wouldn’t blame him for being weirded out. You and I have been friends since preschool, and the way you are looking at me right now is enough to make me want to hurl. I didn’t even think about what you’d think about all of this. I mean, your roommate and teammate is possibly gay. If you want to room with someone else, I understand.”

Blaine patted Nick’s knee. “Hey, none of that. You are my best friend, and nothing is going to change. Actually, we have a lot more in common with each other than you know,” Blaine said. 

Nick’s head jerked up in surprise so that he was now looking at his best friend directly in the eye. “Wait! Are you saying that you- that you’re gay or that you are in love with Jeff?” Nick sputtered.

Blaine shook his head. “In love with Jeff? No,” he laughed. “But gay, yes. I’m pretty sure. But I haven’t told anyone, and I’m not ready. You can’t tell anybody. Not even Jeff, ok?”

Nick nodded. “I swear, man. Scout’s honor.”

“You were only in scouts for two weeks. I mean, after you set the troop leader’s tent on fire, I’m surprised that he didn’t tie you to a tree,” Blaine laughed. “But seriously, Nick, being in love with a guy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gay. Sexuality is a lot more complex than I ever would’ve believed, but I’ve been researching a lot lately and there’s a lot more to it than just gay and straight. You could be bisexual, or even pansexual. It gets quite complicated,” Blaine explained.

“So you? You’re actually gay, and not bi or pan, which I’m not even sure what that means?” Nick sighed.

“Pansexual refers to someone who experiences sexual attraction to all genders. And no, I’m certain I’m gay. I mean, a bi or pan person would experience some kind of sexual attraction to females, and I never have. I mean, I think their bodies are beautiful, but they just don’t excite me the way they are supposed to. But this is about you. You’ve had girlfriends before. I know you and Julie fooled around. Were you sexually attracted to her?”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, and I think that’s the reason why I am so confused. I mean, I ended things with her primarily because I realized how I felt about Jeff, and I didn’t think it was fair to her. She confessed that she loved me and I couldn’t honestly say it back. I felt like an absolute jerk, but I didn’t want to lie to her either.”

Blaine nodded in understanding. “No, you did the right thing. It wouldn’t have been right to lead her on.” Blaine sighed heavily. “So, when did you start feeling this way, toward Jeff?”

Nick bit his lip. “I guess I’ve felt things before like when he’d hug me or compliment me, or something, but I just thought we had this great bromance, you know. But then, after he started dating that Tonya girl, I began to feel-”

“Jealous,” Blaine interrupted. “I knew you didn’t like her. I didn’t either and I’m glad it didn’t last long.” Blaine ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn! So what are you going to do?”

Nick shook his head. “Nothing. I can’t risk losing him, Blaine. He’s my best friend, and I can’t stand the thought of him not being a part of my life, even if we just remain friends. And I don’t even know who or what I am. How can I expect him to understand?”

“Hey, give Jeff some credit. He would never walk away from our friendship because you might be bisexual,” Blaine reassured him.

“Then, why haven’t you told him about you? Why didn’t you tell me?

Blaine hung his head in shame. “You’re right,” he sighed. “I guess I’m just as terrified as you are. It’s all those what-ifs. At least in my head, I can play out different scenarios, and though most of them are fine, the bad ones are horrible. I know my mom would be ok, and I think that things would smooth over with my dad eventually, but it’s everyone else,” Blaine admitted. “And I knew you and Jeff would be accepting, but I was worried about the other guys.”

“You were there when Trent came out, and the Warblers were all supportive. You’re their golden boy. Nobody would be distasteful,” Nick said. 

“No, not all the Warblers. But you have to take into account that I’m not like Trent. No offense to him or anything, but he wasn’t really foolin’ anybody,” Blaine explained. “And the Warblers would all be ok for the most part. But you know how some of the other guys would be. They’d act like it was ok to my face, but then they’d say things. You remember middle school, how cruel some of those guys were in the locker room, the taunting, the teasing, the cruel pranks. It was awful. I don’t want to have to bear the brunt of all that. I guess that’s part of the reason I’m so timid.”

“I get it. I swear I won’t say anything, not even to Jeff,” Nick said with a reassuring pat to his friend’s shoulder. “Now, that moment’s over, let’s get some work done so Jeff doesn’t think we’ve been goofing around this whole time.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the other side of the door. “How ‘bout you lazy asses open the door before I drop this and ruin the carpet, again,” Jeff hollered.

* * *

“Alright, Blaine, I checked it again and aside from calling Scrooge a scourge, I think we’ve got it,” Jeff yawned. 

“Hey, thanks so much for coming over here and helping me out. We’re going to nail this assignment. I still need to finish the ‘works cited’ page and then it’s complete. I just have to forward it to Sebastian and then I’m off to bed.”

“To Sebastian? Why? He left early. Come to think of it, he’s skipped out early every time that we’ve tried to work on this,” Jeff stated. “I think we should let him look like a complete and utter ass when we present on Monday.

“He’s going to look that way anyway,” Nick laughed. “However, he is responsible for our visual aide, so we do need to make sure that he’s on the same page. Just send it to Mr. Lawson first so he knows that Sebastian didn’t have any part of it. And, Jeff, thanks again. You saved our asses with the coffee and your notes.”

“No problem. You guys are my best friends. Hey, Nick, you want to come over later? I bought the new Spiderman movie, and I want someone to watch it with me. It’s not Kurt’s thing so he isn’t going to watch it,” Jeff said with a pouty lip. 

“It’s kinda late,” Nick started, but then Blaine gave him that “bullshit” look.

“Oh come on, Nick,” Blaine said with a smile. “It’s Spiderman. Go. I’ll finish this bibliography and go to bed. You two have fun.”

“Alright. Just give me a minute,” Nick answered, throwing his pillow at Blaine. “Let me get some stuff though just in case you change your mind on the movie and I end up watching some heart-felt musical that puts me to sleep 15 seconds in,” Nick laughed.

“Hey, that was Kurt’s pick, and with a title like Rocketman, I thought it was going to be about space. It turned out to be pretty good, albeit a little out there,” Jeff laughed. “I mean, Elton John is a musical badass.”

“Ok, you got me there,” Nick laughed, as he shoved a few things into an overnight bag. “Blaine, are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Of course not. You’ve done more than enough. I can take it from here. ‘Night, guys,” Blaine said with a smile as he closed the door behind his two friends and sat back down at his laptop. He started to type the first book title when a notification popped up on his laptop.

Email from Blue45801@daltonmail.com

_Dear Tony,_

_I would say shame, shame to you for procrastinating and writing me right now when you are supposed to be doing homework if I wasn’t guilty of the same thing at the moment. I’m supposed to be finishing this huge book for history class, and I keep logging back into my email and rereading your last message. That’s the reason I’m just now replying to this. I was attempting to be responsible and let you finish your project as I procrastinate from my own. I guess I know what we will both be doing instead of having fun this weekend._

_I don’t kid about music, although I’m not a huge Queen fan. I’m sorry if you are. Don’t get me wrong. Freddy’s vocal ability was amazing, and I have to admit that Adam Lambert sweats sex, but I’m more of a Beatles guy. Did you know that technically, Paul Mccartney had a wider vocal range than Freddy Mercury? At least, as far as they can prove from recordings of Freddy. If you listen to Hey Jude, Paul hits an F5. I know from experience that’s a hard note to hit. And I have heard that he can hit a C6. I have a friend that can hit a C6 like it’s nothing, but then again, I know that’s not the norm._

Blaine froze. This guy knew how to identify musical notes by the sound? Sure, he was a Warbler, but he knew a lot of singers and musicians that couldn’t do this without an instrument to check. His friend really knew his stuff.

_In regards to the Bohemian Rhapsody remark, it’s been done, and unless you can sing the song as well as Freddy Mercury, it shouldn’t be attempted in public. I have heard show choirs try before, and let’s just say that I wasn’t as impressed as some of my friends._

_So, you are a Warbler as well. I thought we said no details. But then again, I did let that slip right from the get-go, so I guess I’ll take the blame on that one. No more slip-ups, though, and no outright asking the Warblers if anyone is Blue. I will pretend like I have no idea what you are talking about, and then I won’t answer any more of these emails. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to sound harsh or anything, but as I said before, I’m not ready to reveal myself yet. I wish I was, but I’m just not there yet. I hope that’s ok._

Blaine sighed. He had to be more careful with what he revealed. This person was scared to death of his secret coming out. Blaine didn’t blame him in the least. He continued reading.

_Regarding the remark about my girlfriend, you’re right. But to be fair, I don’t think she’s serious about me. When we got together, she said something about wanting a perfect track record for making out with all of the guys at our school. At the time, I was going through some things of my own at home, and I thought she was really sweet, so I told her that we could date. I should have ended things when I transferred to Dalton, but I didn’t. Sigh. I do think she may be cheating on me. Either way, I think you only get hurt if love is involved in one of the parties, and I don’t think that’s the case for either of us. I’m ashamed to say that we are both using each other._

_As for my brother, I’m older, but not by much, and so sometimes, he likes to tell me what to do. I just ignore him. I love him, but we are very different. And since you resisted the urge to share your brother’s name, I shall do the same._

_Back to the Avengers, hmmm? My roommate loves those movies. I can honestly say I wasn’t the least bit interested in them until my roommate started playing them, like, nonstop, and now I’m kind of hooked, but once again, I’ll deny it if anyone calls me out on it. And I do agree that there’s plenty of eye candy in the Avengers. Being too ripped? Not a problem for me. I’m not scrawny, but if I had to name an Avenger that I resemble the most in the muscle mass area, I’d have to say I’m more like Peter Parker. His abs are still better than mine. I will say I take a lot of care in making sure that I look nice, so we are alike on that front._

So his mystery man compared himself with Tom Holland. He could get on board with that. Tom Holland started out as a stage actor and was trained in dancing and gymnastics. Was Blue a gymnast or a dancer? He said he was an athlete but not in a conventional way. Did Blue just give him a clue? Blaine scratched his head and kept reading. 

_Normally, I would say I’m an overachiever too, but since I’m at a new school, I’m surprisingly not overloaded right now. I will probably regret that later when I fill out college applications, but I had to play so much catch-up for my coursework. I still stay quite busy though. I have a job at my dad’s business when I’m not at school, and I have a few hobbies that I pursue when I’m not doing schoolwork or working. As I said earlier, I was behind on some schoolwork, but I’m catching up. I read until I felt like my eyes were going to bleed and my mind was going to go numb from pure boredom. Assigned reading sucks._

_Potty humor? What are you? Eight? And yes, it can be that bad. Toilets coming to life is ludicrous, and you won’t get me to say otherwise. If it was quality literature, then those books wouldn’t be on the banned list for most school libraries. Although, there are some good books on the banned list, like the Harry Potter books. What is wrong with some people? On second thought, don’t answer that or we’ll be on that topic forever._

Blaine smiled. Blue had an amazing conversational style that was both unique and witty. He was obviously intelligent, but that was a given. In order to be a member of the Warblers, you had to have at least a 3.0 GPA. Anyone whose grades dropped below this average was put on probation and was unable to perform with the group until his grades improved. Blaine scrolled down. 

_A Christmas Carol is a classic, and for a good reason. I’d say I’m scandalized that you haven’t read a Midsummer Night's Dream, but I haven’t read a Tale of Two Cities so maybe we will just have to give each other an assigned reading list just in case one of us refers to a book that the other doesn’t know. I will say it sounds like both of us are Harry Potter fans, so that one is safe, right? If not, those books are going on your assigned reading list ASAP._

_If I can’t call myself a bitch then you can’t call yourself a hypocrite. This is a safe-zone, remember? I haven’t told my family yet either, so if you are a hypocrite, then I am one as well. I think you sound quite admirable._

Blaine blushed, although he wasn’t sure why. His new friend called him admirable although what Blue did took a lot more guts. 

_Awwwww! That’s so sweet. My parents were sappy like that too, and now my dad is just as sappy with my step-mother. I hope I find something like that one day. Damn it. I find myself wanting to ask all of the questions about your parents now. Damn you, anonymity! That’s sweet of you to offer to help your dad. I’d need to help my dad as well if he ever decided to do anything like that._

Step-mother? Blue’s father was remarried. There was another clue. Did his friend keep dropping clues like this on purpose or was he just letting his guard down? It’d be a useful clue if Blaine had an idea which Warblers had divorced parents. It was probably more than half, although he didn’t know for sure. Maybe he didn’t know the Warblers as well as he thought. 

_Oh, by the way, I wanted to send out that search party you requested, but since all I know about you is that you are a Warbler and your fake name is Tony, I don’t think they will be that successful. I hope you drank some strong coffee and finished your project even though I supposedly distracted you. Good luck, and I hope to hear from you soon._

_Your friend,_

_Blue_

Blaine chuckled as he started on his response.

**Dear Blue,**

**So procrastination is a mutual friend for us both. I will say I was fortunate enough to have my two best friends come over and help me out where I was stuck, and I’m almost finished now. Procrastination can be my worst enemy, but it can also be the greatest motivator when you know something has got to get finished. All I have to do now is a work cited page and I am DONE! I know that you can’t see but I’m totally doing a sky punch. :^D**

**Paul McCartney is an absolute legend, and I heard that he can put on an incredible show even now. It’s on my bucket list to see him perform, but that won’t happen until I am eighteen because if my dad ever found out that I went to a concert when I should’ve been studying, I’d be grounded until I’m thirty. So, unfortunately, I have to stick to Youtube videos and documentaries of his performances until then. Hold on Paul, and take some life-preserving vitamins so you don’t succumb to any diseases.**

**In regards to the tidbit about Paul McCartney and his vocal range, I did realize that he hit some impressive notes. I sang Hey Jude, and I wasn’t able to speak the next day. Although his range is wider than Freddy’s, Freddy had more versatility. Paul’s tonality stayed mostly the same on his songs, though rougher throughout the years due to age, but Freddy was able to sing almost any genre and use the appropriate coloring of the note. I mean, on Bohemian Rhapsody alone, he switches from a ballad to opera to hard rock, and he nails every sound. And then in Crazy Little Thing Called Love, he pulls off rockabilly, only to switch it up to gospel with Somebody to Love. On a completely different note, you mentioning those technical notes just turned me on musically, if that’s a thing. Sorry, it’s just, I’m around a lot of people that claim to be musicians, but they often stare into oblivion when I start talking technical. I play several instruments, and I have studied music for years. It’s what I want to major in when I go to college. But then, these so-called judges on these reality competitions don’t know the difference between a note that is sharp or a note that ‘B flat’. Ok, ok. That was bad. But I got excited that someone would know what that joke meant.**

**As for the remark about Adam Lambert, I agree. I may have discovered I was gay watching the Avengers, but I might have had my first real sex fantasy after watching footage of Adam in Amsterdam when he was on his Glam Nation Tour. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, look it up after you read this but do not blame me if you screw up your computer from viewing it over and over. I have never admitted to another person that that video was the cause of my sprained wrist and not boxing. I just realized that I revealed that to a stranger, more or less, but it was you that said that this was a safe zone, and so I hope that you won’t judge. Trust me on the video. Keywords- Adam Lambert Glamnation, Purple Haze & Whole Lotta Love. You won’t ever regret it. **

**As for the book list, it’s a done deal. I’ll read A Midsummer Night’s Dream and you will read Captain Underpants and the Talking Toilets. I will give you a quiz, so you better be ready. As for the book ban on Harry Potter, that’s not too far off from self-righteous people telling us who we can or can’t love. They try to limit what we can and can’t read. Sigh. My mother would comment on how repressed Ohioans are.**

**So you have a job? That’s great. I work during the summer, but I won’t disclose where because I’ve already revealed too much. I hope you forgive my indiscretion in revealing the fact that I’m a Warbler. I thought we had previously established that. I promise I won’t be so absent-minded again. Please, oh please don’t stop replying to these messages. :^{} I promise to respect your privacy. I’m not ready to be out yet either.**

**Although, I think I am now officially out, at least to one person. I just told my best friend and roommate. We’ll call him Riff. I thought he might be you for a minute. I won’t go into what we discussed because I respect his privacy as well, but I told him that I was gay. He didn’t mind. I felt a huge sense of relief after I told him, and I realized that I had no reason to be so scared. It makes me want to bite the bullet and tell others, like my parents or my brother. I realized that my biggest source of anxiety and fear is not knowing what my loved ones will think. But my friend just proved to me that the people who love me for who I am will love me regardless. Does this mean I’m going to come out to everybody tomorrow? Heck no! But it’s a step in the right direction. Now, I know I will do it when the time is right.**

**Ok, it is settled. You can’t call yourself a bitch and I can’t call myself a hypocrite. Deal? The way I see it, few people in life get to the point where they are completely comfortable in their own skin. Most people have their areas within themselves that they struggle with, so we are just typical human beings. And men and women alike have struggled with their sexuality for thousands of years. There is evidence of homosexuality in ancient civilizations and it’s even documented in the bible. Speaking of hypocritical, lots of things are shunned in the bible, including eating certain kinds of meat, interracial marriage, divorce, sex or pregnancy outside of wedlock, seeking fame and attention, and I could go on and on. It seems most of these things are excusable to these small-minded people, but if you are gay, you are dirty and unnatural. I guess it could be worse. At least in America, it’s not illegal. It’s just crazy to me that it used to be ok for a man to trade off his daughter’s hand for livestock or money, or that a grown man could marry a thirteen-year-old, but loving someone of the same gender was punishable by death in some periods throughout history, and still is today in some parts of the world.**

**Sorry, I was ranting, but I can’t help but be passionate. I have dreams of my older self proudly riding on a float in PRIDE with my significant other, making out with him while flipping the bird to everyone else. That’s my future self. Tony the badass rebel. Lately, I have pictured a faceless man beside me, dressed immaculately in blue, proudly on the float with me and my other friends. I know it’s insane, but that’s the reason they call it a dream. I hope that doesn’t freak you out. I mean, you have already inspired me to come out to my best friend. I feel like I can tell you anything, although I can’t because of this anonymous thing you want us to have.**

**It sounds like you do plenty to help your dad if you help him in his business, whatever it is that he does. Do you do it for pay or just because you are a noble son? My job is a summer gig. I’m too busy during the school year to do it, but I do it for the experience and the extra money. I’m saving for college because I don’t want to stay here in Ohio. My brother wants me to come out there where he lives, but it’s really expensive in that city. There are some great schools there, and I am applying to a few of them. However, I’m also applying to a few on the opposite side of the country. Hell, I’m applying everywhere. I’m a good student, but I want options, and I want to see which school can offer me the most. My father wants me to go to his alma mater, and that’s the only school that I didn’t apply to. Sigh. I haven’t told him that yet. I conveniently forgot to mail the application. He’ll be pissed, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. That’s not even the worst thing I have to tell him.**

**Fathers. :( It sounds like you might have a better relationship with your father than I have with mine. He’s a good man, and I do respect him. That’s what makes this so hard. This will break him. We were having dinner the other day, and he suggested we watch a movie. I suggested Bohemian Rhapsody. It was fine until Freddy met Jim Hutton and they kissed and all of that. My dad looked away in disgust and then made some excuse about having to work on something for the office. Mom and I ended up watching it in silence. I haven’t had a normal conversation with her either since then, but you know how that goes.**

**Ha, ha. I guess you have a point about the search party. In that case, I do need to finish this works cited page before my other partner on this assignment barges into my room and makes a total ass out of himself again. One of my besties, we will call him Baby John, put this other guy in his place. I did tell him I’d send him the project when I finished, and so now I must get back to my work. I hope to hear from you soon.**

**Sincerely,**

**Tony**

Blaine smiled widely and then reopened his report. Just as he finished proofing the works cited page, he got a notification.

Incoming message from Email from Blue45801daltonmail.com

_My Friend Tony,_

_Is this soon enough?_

_I am glad that your friends helped you out. Friends can be great, can’t they? I realized that you told me about your friends, and I never really said much about mine aside from the fact that I miss them. One of my friends, I’ll call her Maria, says that procrastination is laziness’s cousin. Did I mention though that I often want to stick a sock in her mouth and lock her in my basement because of comments like that? I have to admit that she does motivate me to work hard and go for the things I want. I’m bringing her up though because if I did confide in anyone (other than you) about my secret, it would probably be her._

_I’m proud of you for coming out, but I have to leave this one-sided for right now. I have to be honest, though. I have almost blurted it out multiple times, and it’s been to different people. I almost told my other best friend more than once, but then I keep thinking I’ll lose her. She’s really into her faith, and I know what most Christians in Ohio think about gay people. But you said your friend, Riff (you know he dies, right?”) was cool with it? Why did you think he was me? You’ve got me curious now. Anyway, I’m glad that it all went well. It gives me hope in case I ever get the courage to do the same._

_So I found a fellow Beatles fan? I’ve tried talking to my girlfriend about them, but she thought I was talking about actual bugs and then she went on and on about how butterflies taste with their feet. It was a very weird conversation. Sigh. I’m afraid she and I have a very different musical taste. I mean, she likes Ke$ha, for crying out loud._

Blaine laughed. This girl Blue was dating sounded unique. Wait, did his friend just insult Key$ha or his girlfriend?

_I’m going to take this opportunity to agree that Paul is a legend. He wrote some of the greatest songs of all time. Hey Jude is an amazing song. I can see where it would be difficult to sing, but I bet it’d be fun. Maybe we need to talk the Warblers into doing a Beatles tribute. That would be awesome. I might get a chance to get a solo then. As of right now, I have no shot. The Warblers are great, but they kind of rely on the same old tactics and the same soloist for every performance. Don’t get me wrong. He’s incredible, but sometimes I just wish they’d pick someone else to perform a solo for once so the Warblers would be more like the Beatles than Queen. But I guess if you have a frontman like Freddy, then why would you let anyone else share the spotlight?_

Blaine blinked in surprise. Blue thought he was incredible. He also thought he was a showboater. Maybe it was a good thing that Blue wasn’t aware of who he was talking to.

_As for your remark about trying to talk about music with people, I understand completely. Although it sounds like you may be more talented than I (I play a little piano, but very few people know that), I do know the basics. My two best friends are both sopranos, and they are always talking technical, so I picked up most of what I know from them and my former glee club. The Warblers are probably just as knowledgeable, but it seems like all they do is top-forty music. I prefer the classics. Maybe that’s the reason I feel so out of place with them. What do you think? Do you wish they’d shake it up a little or are you content with the music they do?_

_So, what’s your favorite Beatles’ song and why? Mine is ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand.’ I know it sounds strange, but it’s my favorite because of my dad. It was my mother’s favorite, and she used to play it all of the time. After she passed, dad wouldn’t play the Beatles anymore in his shop. Well, one day, I played it in his office and he walked in and he just sat down beside me and wiped a tear from my face. He told me about how mom used to sing it to me to get me to fall asleep when I was a baby, and how she would play it for me when I was sad. Ultimately, it was the first song I learned how to play on the piano, and I still play it from time to time when I think of her._

_As for your sharp, flat pun, if that’s how all your jokes are, this friendship is already in treble. ;D_

Blaine laughed. Yep, Blue definitely was familiar with some musical knowledge. He continued reading.

_I would’ve responded a little quicker, but I started looking up the video you suggested. Damn you! How have I never seen that before? Hottest kiss ever! And that bass player! I thought that Adam was gorgeous, but HOT DAMN! I might have watched that video more times than I care to admit. Then, my roommate walked in, and it got awkward quickly because I might not have been decent. He was cool about it because I have walked in on him countless times in the middle of - enjoying himself- to put it delicately. I blame it all on you. That’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to watching porn. I think I have a new favorite song._

Did Blue just admit that he had masturbated to that video? How hot was that? Blaine blushed 

_I have not, nor will I ever, read Captain Underpants. I draw the line. I would almost rather read anything else, except for what I just finished last night for lit class. I dropped the book on my face once after I fell asleep in the middle of a particularly dull spot. So I’ll negate the deal. You escape having to read a Midsummer’s Night, and instead, we’ll just discuss something we’ve both read, like Harry Potter. Sound fair? Wait, you have read the books, right? Because the movies and the books ARE NOT the same._

Blaine smiled. He was a huge Harry Potter fan, and it would be nice to discuss the books with someone who had actually read them, unlike Nick and Jeff, who had not even bothered to crack open the first book or any of the others.

_I can’t call myself a bitch. Noted. Does that mean I CAN call you one? :^D LOL. Just kidding. You’re not a bitch at all. You’re probably one of the sweetest people I’ve ever talked to._

Blaine laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair. He shifted in his chair and scrolled down. 

_That’s smart of you to already be putting money away for college. It’s also a great idea to apply to more than one school. My friend, Maria, has only one school she is planning to attend, and she won’t hear about applying to safety schools. There’s still time for me to convince her. She wants me to go with her, and honestly, it would be a dream come true if I got in. Just getting away from Ohio would fulfill that dream, but it sounds like you understand my reasoning._

_As for my relationship with my father, I know exactly what you mean. My father was a football player, and he works with his hands. He watches Deadliest Catch and wears flannel, and I do not. We get along, but not as naturally as he does with my step-brother. They like the same things. I try. I really do, but I wish that we had more in common because it is getting harder and harder to pretend. I mean, there are only so many Mellencamp songs I can listen to before I go insane. I don’t know if I can sit through another football game without rolling my eyes. I mean, they are wearing stirrup pants for crying out loud. I tried playing football, and I played one game. My dad was so happy when I scored the winning touch goal thingie, but I honestly just didn’t feel comfortable. I almost told my dad then. Sigh. Fathers._

Touch goal thingie? Blaine laughed out loud again. Blue was not lying when he said football was not his thing. He continued on. 

_As for your rant, I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me to discuss these things. I agree wholeheartedly. There are such double standards when it comes to gay people and straight people, but if I get started on that topic, I may never be able to stop. As for the future pride parade, I hope so. I want to say I’d be right there with you. And even if I’m not, it sounds like an amazing dream, and you should have that. I am glad that you feel comfortable talking with me. It’s mutual. I’ve confided in you things that I’ve never said to another soul. I hope we will one day know one another’s true identities, but I appreciate you for not trying to push me into that now. Because quite honestly, I can’t yet. I’m just too unsure and anxious about everything and I'm not ready to take the risk of everybody finding out. Thank you for being my friend even though I’m not courageous enough to reveal myself to you. Don’t give up on me. You inspire me, and maybe, just maybe, I will take the plunge. I think you have the right idea by telling one person you trust, even though that idea scares me shitless. Like you, I’m terrified of losing those people I love the most. I couldn’t care less what strangers think. It’s my parents and my friends that I’m scared to disappoint._

He inspired Blue? Did Blue even have a clue how inspiring his own words were? Blaine frowned. Of course he didn’t, because if he did, he wouldn’t have been so frightened to just be who he was. The more he talked with Blue, the more he wished that he hadn’t agreed that they wouldn’t meet face to face. Blaine sighed. Oh well. He’d just have to keep dreaming of a faceless boy for right now. 

_Well, I guess I’ll allow you to get back to your work. I’d apologize for distracting you , but I can’t. I enjoy talking to you. However, I don’t want this intrusive partner breaking and entering. Get your work done and we’ll talk then. No more using me as an excuse. I won’t answer another email until you send your work to him._

_Until then,_

_Blue_

Blaine frowned as he read the closing of the email. He started to open his report when another notification popped up. 

**Incoming email from Smythes@daltonmail.com**

**Subject:** Hey killer 

I just wanted to send a reminder about our project. Did you finish your part? You are welcome to come over to my room if you’d like and I’ll assist you with whatever you are lacking. I have a single, so we will not be disturbed by a roommate, such as we experienced earlier. I’m sorry I left so hastily before, but quite honestly, I have a low tolerance for your friends. They don’t seem to think much of me either, especially Blondie. Alas, we have a project to do, and I do intend to pull my weight. Please send it as soon as possible so that I have time to complete the visuals, although I fear that it is already too late to produce anything of quality so close to the deadline. I sense a night of no sleep and lots of coffee coming very soon. 

As for my remarks about the gay Warbler, I apologize if I stepped on your toes. I was just teasing. I like getting a rise out of Beavis and Butthead, but I got the impression that you were uncomfortable. I hope that you can excuse my offensive behavior. 

Sincerely,

Sebastian Smythe

P.S. The offer stands for you to drop in at any time. I have a first-class home theater, and I am well trained on how to entertain guests. If you ever get tired of mophead, my room number is 305. I could stand having a roommate if it were you. What’d you say? 

Blaine sighed. Was this guy serious about coming over to his room? Blaine felt his stomach knot up with guilt. It was his fault that Sebastian would be struggling to meet the deadline. He should have finished his part days ago, but he had let himself get wrapped up with Blue. Blue had said in his last message that he wasn’t going to send him any more messages until he was finished, and technically he still wasn’t. He thought about the points Sebastian had made, and the more he contemplated it, the more he realized that Sebastian wasn’t being unreasonable. He sounded quite generous. 

Blaine’s thoughts were continuing to spiral as he hit reply. 

**To: Smythes@daltonmail.com**

**Subject: Project Visual aid**

**I completed my part of the project, although I do need to proofread it once more to make sure there are no major errors. I’ll send it now so that you can go ahead and get started on your visuals. I’m sorry it took me so long to finish, and I hope you accept my apology. Because of my tardiness, I would like to offer to assist you with the visual aids. It’s only fair since I’m the reason you’re having to do this last minute. I’ll see you shortly.**

**Sincerely,**

**Blaine Anderson** ****

Blaine hit send, and gathered his notes and his flash drive and put it into his satchel. He grabbed his laptop and carefully put it into his bag and walked out the door.

* * *

“Hey, Killer. I wasn’t sure if you were serious when I got your email. ” Sebastian asked with a wide grin.

Blaine stepped into the enormous dorm room. “Hey, this is a great room. It’s larger than any of the other ones I’ve seen.”

“Yeah, my dad’s the state’s attorney and a major contributor here, so I got dibs, you know. Perks of being a big shot’s son. One of the few.”

“Are you two not close?” Blaine frowned.

“If we were any further apart, we’d be on separate continents. At one point, we were. My mom lives in Paris. My parents have joint custody. That’s where I was last year. Now it’s my dad’s turn. So, while he’s in Columbus attending to his affairs, I get the pleasure of avoiding everyone here. At least they have a lacrosse team here,” Sebastian said with a smile. “So, my laptop is over there if you want to see what I’ve started. The graphics are generic right now. I figured that you could help me infuse some style into it once I read over the finished product. Did you bring your work?”

Blaine nodded as he removed his laptop from his bag. “Yeah. Where do you want me to put this?” He shifted his eyes to the small dining table across the room.

Sebastian pulled a small laptop table from the corner and set it up next to his desk. “Why don’t you just work right here, next to me. That way, if I need to ask for your advice, you won’t have to get up and come over here. Fewer distractions,” Sebastian said slyly as he rolled his chair close to Blaine. “Mind if I take a peek at what you’ve done?”

“Absolutely. This is a collaborative effort, after all,” Blaine said with a smile.

“Funny, I didn’t realize that Blaine Anderson knew what that phrase meant,” Sebastian replied smugly. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Blaine asked annoyedly.. 

Sebastian chuckled. “Oh, I’m just teasing. You know how a bunch of the other Warblers whine about how the counsel just hands over all of the solos to you. It’s not your fault you have talent and charisma oozing from your pores. They’re just extremely jealous.”

“Wait a second! They don’t just give them to me. I audition for every single one of them,” Blaine replied, crossing his arms. “Anyone else that wants to audition is encouraged to do so. I know that quite a few, including you, have auditioned.”

Sebastian laughed. “As if I stood a chance against the amazing Blaine Anderson. I think the only reason Wes agreed to let me in the Warblers in the first place is that our fathers are former college roommates— you know, a favor between old friends. How did you manage to win his favor so easily? A couple of Benjamins? Bribery over scandalous stories? A promised evening out with your sister, perhaps?”

“I don’t have a sister, and bribery isn’t my thing. I just like to think that I bring something different to the table. I honestly don’t believe I should have every solo. There are plenty of other talented people in the Warblers. For some reason, Wes and the rest of the council just seem to have faith in me, I guess,” Blaine said with a shrug. “I’m sure you’ll earn a solo one of these days.”

“Yeah, you just continue with that optimism while I wait over here for Hell to freeze over,” Sebastian laughed. “Oh well. It could be worse. At least I’m not Hummel. There’s no way Sir Gavel would ever grant a solo to him, with that gay face and that nasally sound that he must’ve stolen directly from that short blonde chick from Wicked, whatever her name is,” Sebastian said while rolling his eyes. “He’s like, lookie at me, singing ‘Defying Gravity.’ If you ask me, he sounds like he’s recovering from a knee to the groin. Whoopty freakin’ doo!”

“I think Kurt has an incredible voice. I actually tried to convince the council to give him one of my solos, but they just said his song selection wasn’t edgy enough,” Blaine said. 

“Edge huh? So that’s what the ol’ council is looking for?” Sebastian asked, leaning his body in closely to Blaine’s chair. “He didn’t seem to like my rendition of ‘Live While We’re Young,’” Sebastian scoffed. 

“Um, One Direction isn’t really what the Warblers would call edgy,” Blaine laughed. “So you think this ‘Blue’ character is Kurt? I mean, he has a girlfriend.”

“So did Elton John and Freddie Mercury. Ricky Martin supposedly had girlfriends. So what? Sexuality is fluid anyway. I mean, in Paris it isn’t as big of a deal. Who someone has sex with shouldn’t be the concern of anyone else anyway,” Sebastian replied nonchalantly, as he scrolled through the word document on Blaine’s laptop screen.

Blaine sighed as he looked over the chart Sebastian had started on his laptop screen. “So if it’s nobody’s business, why do you keep bringing it up? Why do you care?”

“I guess because I thought I knew who it was, you know. I was certain he was right in front of me, but I guess I was on the wrong track. So anyway, this is great, Blaine, although there are a few minuscule errors. Easy fixes, you know. Why don’t you make us whatever coffee you like?” Sebastian pointed to the coffee bar in the kitchenette area. “I have a Keurig over there and every flavor imaginable. Help yourself. I even have a little stash of Courvoisier I’d be willing to share, as long as you don't rat me out to the RA. But I’m sure you wouldn’t do something quite so lame,” Sebastian said as Blaine made his way over to the coffee maker. The moment Blaine stepped away, his eyes were drawn to a message on the screen. 

**Message from Blue45801@daltonmail.com**

**Subject:** I lied

He immediately clicked on the x in the corner of the screen. “Oh damn! I forgot. I’m out of snacks. I bet you’re a man that likes something sweet with his medium drip.”

“How did you know I liked a medium drip?” Blaine inquired, cocking his eyebrow as his hands opened the coffee packet. 

Sebastian grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I told you. I pay attention to what goes on around me. For example, I never see you without a pastry or some biscotti when you have a coffee. I saw you with those cookies earlier in your room. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Sebastian smirked. “Do you have any more of those cookies? They looked delicious.”

“Kurt made them, and they were amazing, but I’m afraid they’re all gone. There might be something in the student lounge. Would you like me to check?” Blaine offered.

“Yeah, that’d be fabulous. I’ll just attend to the errors while you’re gone, and then you won’t have to worry about that tonight. We’ll finish the visual aids when you return.”

“Thanks,” Blaine said, heading for the door. I shouldn’t be gone too long 

“Take your time,” Sebastian grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions. I love interacting with my readers. Thanks for taking the time to read this.


	5. Stipulations for Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian knows Blaine secret, and he'll only keep it to himself under certain conditions.

**Chapter 5**

“Exceptional work, gentlemen,” Mr. Jemison praised. “I want all other groups to take note that these four young men heeded the rubric while they were planning their project. I hope that you follow their example. Your grade will be posted after I review the written material, but I think it’s safe to say that you boys will be pleased with the results. I will need your peer partner reports so that you can discreetly tell me if each of your team members pulled his own weight. Thank you for your fine presentation.”

Blaine sighed in relief. It had taken the rest of the weekend to help Sebastian complete the visual aids. Surprisingly, though, Sebastian was respectable and less creepy than usual. Maybe he was just uncomfortable with Nick and Jeff. Maybe he had just misjudged him. 

There was still a possibility that Sebastian was Blue. Blue’s conversational style differed from Sebastian’s, but Sebastian had proved that he was very capable of speaking respectfully and properly just now during their presentation. He was also witty in a sarcastic way, just like Blue. Sebastian made several remarks about Blue, which initially made Blaine think there was no way that he could be Blue. But then again, Blue was adamant that he stay anonymous. What if Sebastian kept bringing Blue up to throw Blaine off? It actually wasn’t a bad strategy. 

Then again, Sebastian had said that he thought Blue had to be Kurt. Did Sebastian know something about Kurt that he didn’t know? Could it be a possibility?

Blaine had thought about the whole situation as he lay awake in bed on Saturday. What if Sebastian was correct, and he had been talking to Kurt this whole time? Would that be such a horrible thing? They were already friends. They had been from the moment they met and realized that they shared many of the same interests. 

Yet, Kurt was dating Brittany. He had never really spoken to the girl, but Blaine had always thought she and Kurt looked sweet when he saw them together. Kurt always spoke fondly of her. Blue, on the other hand, said that he and his girlfriend were only in a relationship for the sake of being in a relationship. From what Blaine could tell, Kurt was a romantic. There was no way that Kurt would date someone just to hide his sexuality.

Blaine quickly packed his things as Nick and Jeff congratulated one another on a job well done. He wanted to get home so he could email Blue and let him know there was no more excuse for the radio silence. He had grown so accustomed to checking his messages that it was becoming a habit. It had been rather disheartening the last few days as he sifted through the junk mail and the non-urgent messages from the Warbler council members. 

He was about to sneak out of the door when a hand slapped down on his shoulder. “Hey there, killer. I told you it would be great,” Sebastian said with a massive grin. “We make a great team,” he added, bumping his shoulder against Blaine’s. “So, celebratory drinks and a movie in my room?”

Blaine bit his lip and pulled back from Sebastian. “Um, maybe some other time. I have a few things I need to take care of. I’ve been dodging some responsibilities and ignoring some friends, so now I need to be sociable again. I just had so much going on with the project and the play and everything else.”

“Oh, I get it, Tony,” Sebastian said with a smirk.

Blaine’s head jerked up immediately and he looked directly into Sebastian’s eyes. “What did you call me?”

“You’re Tony, right? In West Side Story?”

Blaine sighed in relief. “Yeah, are you planning to come and see it?”

“I’ve seen it before and I’m sure if I want to sit through it again. It’s a good story, but it left me a little blue, if you know what I mean,” Sebastian winked. “I think it would be in your best interest to cancel your other plans for tonight unless you want to be _out_ tonight. I’ll see you in ten, right?”

Blaine’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Do I have a choice?”

“Of course you do. People always have a choice. They just don’t always like the options. Later,” Sebastian smirked, slinking out the classroom, leaving Blaine stunned. 

“You coming, Blaine?” Jeff called out across the room. When he saw Blaine’s expression he rushed to Blaine’s side. “You ok?’

Blaine rubbed his temples. “Yeah, I’m just getting a migraine. I think I’m going to just skip out on the dinner. You two go, ok,” Blaine told the blonde, nudging Nick’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, meerkat has that effect on me as well,” Jeff nodded in understanding. 

“You sure you’re ok? What did Sebastian have to say?” Nick asked. 

“Nothing. Nothing at all, really.”

“Surprise, surprise,” laughed Jeff. “You sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, I think I’m just going to go back to my room, take some Ibuprofen, and lie down,” Blaine replied. 

“Okay, man. Do you need me to bring you anything when I get back home?” Nick asked. 

Blaine shook his head. “No, you guys have fun. I’ll see you later.” He picked up his bag and put it on his shoulder. He waved to his friends and sighed as he thought about what Sebastian could’ve meant. Did he know? If he did, how did he find out? What was he going to do with the information? He trudged toward Sebastian’s room, his thoughts spiraling out of control into a thousand different scenarios. When he arrived, he barely rapped on the door when it jerked open. 

“So, you decided to change your mind, I see,” Sebastian grinned. “Come in.”

“Despite what you’d like me to believe, I didn’t have a choice. So what do you want?”

“You mean you aren’t even going to give me the pleasure of hearing you say that I was right?” Sebastian said smugly. 

“Right about what?” Blaine replied angrily. 

“That you aren’t straight. I knew it. It was more difficult to tell with you, but I pretty much had a suspicion about you ever since I moved here.” Sebastian smiled as he pulled up a chair at his table and motioned for Blaine to sit. “So, how about a congratulatory kiss for me figuring out on my own?”

Blaine shook his head no. “I’d rather slam my fingers in a drawer a thousand times. Why don’t you just tell me what you know and what you want.”

“I was hoping that you’d play along with me a little longer, make it a little more enjoyable for us both, but I can see you aren’t up for the games. So I’ll get right to the point. I know your secret, Tony. I found your emails to Blue. They were nauseatingly boring, but well-written nonetheless. I was thinking that such informative and revealing work needed to be shared with the masses.”

Blaine's eyes flashed with rage. “I thought you said that a person’s sexuality shouldn’t be of concern to anyone else? Why the hell do you care so much?”

“Because you and I aren’t so different, aside from the stupid amounts of raspberry gel you put in your hair. Let’s just say that I too have had fantasies of being hammered by a certain Avenger.”

Blaine’s head jerked up in surprise. “Wait, what? You’re gay?”

“Precisely, although I told you before that I’m not into labels. But yes, I like dick,” Sebastian chuckled. “Might I suggest that you start developing your gaydar? I wasn’t exactly subtle,” Sebastian said, running his hand down Blaine’s bicep.

“If you think you’re going to blackmail me into sleeping with you, you’ve got-”

“Simmer down there, Shortstack. Although I wouldn’t be opposed to you _lending me a hand_ , so to speak, consent is kind of a big deal to me. Besides, you aren’t my type. You may be sex on a stick, but I’m an NSA kind of guy.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders. “Which means?”

“No strings attached. Cut and run. I don’t want a boyfriend, and you’ve got that clingy vibe written all over you. Besides, I suspect that your backdoor is uncharted territory.”

Blaine looked disgusted. “Meaning what, exactly?”

“Oh come on, Blaine, step out of your Disney G-rated world for a second, will you? Untainted. Virginal. Mother-freaking Teresa. I bet you barely even touch yourself.”

Blaine’s cheeks flamed crimson. “I-uh. I have-”

“Jerked the gherkin? So has any other preteen boy left alone for more than fifteen seconds,” Sebastian grinned cheekily. “What I’m saying is, you’re probably extremely inexperienced, and I’m not the kind to invest my time in teaching anyone. It’s a waste. I want someone that knows what he’s doing. Experienced.”

Blaine breathed a sigh of relief. “So what do you want from me?”

“A wingman.”

Blaine stared at Sebastian in confusion. “Meaning?”

“Have you ever heard of that place in Lima? Scandals?”

“It’s a gay bar, right?”

Sebastian chuckled. “Good job, Sapling. That’s exactly what it is. I go there from time to time when I want to hook up with someone. It’s far enough away that I don’t usually run into anyone from Westerville. It’s discreet. Anyway, I need someone to go with me so that the creeps and the koalas leave me alone.”

“Koalas?” 

“Clingers. You know the type. The ones you can’t get rid of after you get them off. Besides, it’s nice to have a partner just in case I want to turn someone down and not look like a jerk, you know in case I come back on a night with limited options. You could jump in and say I’m your boyfriend if I give you the signal, or I could pretend that you had too much to drink and I need to take you home. You know, we could look out for each other.”

Blaine sighed. “And the second proposition?”

"A solo at Regionals.”

Blaine shook his head no in protest.

“Don’t discount this, Blaine. This is a dealbreaker. You already said that you’ve thought about talking to the council about giving up one of your solos to Kurt. All you have to do is talk me up instead. Give them some spiel about wanting to showcase other talents or something.”

“And if I don’t?” Blaine asked, crossing his arms.

“Then these compelling messages get posted to Dalton Underground as soon as I can hit copy and paste,” Sebastian warned.

“Fine. When did you want to do it? The Scandals thing?”

“I go on Thursdays and Saturdays,” Sebastian replied.

“Wait, you want me to go more than once?”

“You don’t have to go every time. I do prefer to go solo sometimes, but most of the time I’d like some company. And you’re hot. You’ll attract some of the twinks that usually think they’re too good for me. Once you turn them down though, I’d look like their knight in shining armor. Teamwork, you know.”

“Don’t you have to be twenty-one to get into those places?” 

Sebastian pulled out his wallet and grabbed an ID. “I am, according to this fine document, and you will be too, come Thursday. I’ll need a twenty for the ID though.”

“Hell no. I’m not paying for something I don’t want in the first place,” Blaine said, crossing his arms in protest.

“Whatever. I’ll spot it since you’re doing me a favor. Use the money you saved to go out and get something to wear that won’t make you look eighty. You know, some jeans that actually fit your ass. When you wear slacks with a belt, it makes you look like your ass eroded off or something. And lose the bowtie, Orville. I’ll meet you at your place Thursday at 8:00.”

“How do we get past the RAs?”

Sebastian pulled out his wallet again. “If it’s Reginald, a Benjamin usually does it. Sometimes two, depending on if he’s bitchy or not. If it’s Phillip, I won’t even need that. I kind of have a deal with him to keep his mouth shut or I’ll open mine about who he had in his room earlier in the semester. I doubt the headmaster would be happy to hear that his precious daughter, Maureen, was under the desk when I stopped by.”

“You’ll just blackmail anybody, won’t you?” Blaine spat. 

“Of course not. It’s got to be worth my while. This is worth my while. It won’t hurt you either. You’ll get out there, meet some other gay men, and you’ll get your dick wet. You’ll find out what you like and what you don’t. It’s a win-win.”

“That’s not my definition of a win-win. As for the solo, you’ll have to audition. I’ll talk to the council but I can’t guarantee anything.” 

“Talk to them and let me know what they say. Make it convincing. It’s a two-part deal. No solo, then I’m posting these babies tonight. You have until midnight tonight to set everything in place. If not, the emails will be posted at 12:01. Got it?”

Blaine nodded. “You’re such a hypocrite. When I started getting messages from Blue, I thought there was a possibility that he could be you. But you are nothing like him. He has integrity.” 

“I don’t have the time for patience or integrity. Besides, you can’t call me a hypocrite when you aren’t flying the rainbow flag yourself either. Neither is this ‘Blue’ character to whom you are referring. As far as I’m concerned, you are both still closeted,” Sebastian sneered. “You got an email from him, by the way.”

Blaine let go of the doorknob and abruptly faced Sebastian. “From Blue? Wait! When?”

“When you were over here the other day. He sent you a message.”

“And what did you do with it? Did you delete it?” Blaine accused the other man angrily. 

“No. I replied,” Sebastian replied smugly


	6. Damage Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue is angry with Tony after his last reply. Blaine has to decide if he's going to go along with Sebastian's stipulations.

**Chapter 6**

Blaine had never been so furious in his entire life. He had spent the last two days thinking that Blue wasn’t speaking to him, and now, after the message Sebastian sent, he probably never would again. It took him scrolling through all of his trash and spam emails before he found it. Blue had emailed him just shortly after he said he wouldn't. Blaine took a deep breath and read the message. 

**_Message from Email from_ _Blue45801_ _@_ _daltonmail.com_**

_**Subject:** I lied _

_Dear Tony,_

_I know I said that I wouldn’t write to you again while you were still working on your project, but I realized that I sounded a little harsh. I want you to know that I enjoy talking to you. I just didn’t want to be a distraction to you while you were trying to finish your project. Hurry up and finish your work, and I’ll be here waiting to talk to you when you do._

_Sincerely,_

_Blue_

Blaine read it again and smiled until he realized that this whole situation was a mess. Blaine began scrolling through his sent messages until he found Sebastian’s reply.

 **Message sent by** **Warbler216@daltonmail.com**

**Subject: Distractions**

**Dear Blue,**

**I’ll accept your apology for distracting me if you’ll forgive me for my short reply. I am at my partner’s house since he so generously offered to help me finish this project. I’m going to try to focus all of my energies on getting this completed so please don’t be offended if I don’t email you back this time. I don’t want to be rude to my host. Besides, you are the one who went back on your word and contacted me. I’ll contact you if I have time.**

**Salut!**

**Tony**

Nope. Furious wasn’t the appropriate word. He was livid. How was he going to fix this? There was no way to explain to Blue that the person that replied wasn’t him without making Blue upset or afraid of continuing their emails. He couldn’t blame Blue if he did decide to stop messaging him. Not only were their emails in the hands of someone with malicious intentions, but Blaine had no way of knowing if Sebastian would keep his end of the bargain and refrain from telling the entire school. 

Blaine groaned and rubbed his forehead. Should he tell Blue that someone had read their emails? If he did, what would say? There was no way around it. Blaine knew that he couldn’t mention anything to Blue about Sebastian. He had to come up with a convincing story for why his last email did not sound like him. He began typing a new message.

 **Message to** **Blue45801** **@** **daltonmail.com**

**Subject: My Apologies**

**Dear Blue,**

**I owe you a huge apology. My response to you was rude. Honestly, I wasn’t myself. I hadn’t been feeling well, and I guess my response is a reflection of that and too much cold medicine. I was under a lot of stress and I took it out on you. Please forgive me.**

**As for the project, our instructor said we had an incredible presentation. I am so relieved it is over.**

**Your friends sound interesting. I have an acquaintance or two that deserve the sock in the mouth treatment. I have one right now that deserves to be covered in glue and tissue paper and strung up like a child’s pinata. You and I can take turns swinging the bat at him. I am glad that you feel you have friends you can confide in. Everyone needs at least one of those.**

**It’s ok that this is one-sided. There is no pressure. I didn’t come out to my friend to coax you into coming out. It just felt right. You should do it yourself only when the time is right for you. As for your conservative friend, she may surprise you. My friend certainly did. I think you will come to realize that all of us are in the closet in regards to something. Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think.**

**I was aware that Riff dies, but he was Tony’s loyal friend. Maybe I should have picked better characters to use as pseudonyms, but I already picked Tony as mine. I guess I’m stuck with those. :^)**

**Yes, I am a Beatles fan. I don’t know how anyone could hate them or at least not respect their contributions to music. I think it’s amazing how they are still relevant all these years later, and they are still inspiring musicians to this day. I can only hope to inspire a small fraction of all the people that they have. As for Ke$ha, she’s ok, I guess. To each their own.**

**As for the Warblers, I heard that the council has had a change of heart. You are not the only one who thinks that they need to shake things up a bit. Regarding a Beatles tribute, yes please. How can I give my vote for that to happen?**

**Did you just compare the lead of the Warblers to Freddy Mercury? I don’t know what to say to that. I’m sure he’d be thrilled to hear that compliment even if he’d be slightly offended that you are tired of his solos.**

**Sopranos, huh? Is it true what they say about sopranos having so much hot air that they could replace the heater on a hot air balloon? One of my best friends is a soprano too, but she’s the opposite of that. I thought maybe that was just an inaccurate stereotype, at least based on my observations of her. As for the comment about the Warblers’ love for top-forty music, I think that is partly the fault of the council and partly the fault of the soloist. However, they have been successful thus far with top-forty hits, so maybe that’s the reason they are reluctant to change it up. I would be up for a change if it was done in a fresh way, like a mash-up of old and new. What do you have in mind?**

**My favorite Beatles song? That’s like trying to choose my favorite ice cream flavor. They are all amazing, but I guess if I must choose, I’d say Blackbird. It’s beautiful in every sense of the word. I think what I love most is the symbolism of the lyrics. Did you know that Paul said that he wrote it about civil rights and racial tension in the ’60s? I find it beautiful that he was writing such a hopeful and strong message to a group of people during their struggle for their basic rights. There are others that I love too, but that would have to be the one that stands out most to me.**

**I do think that ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ is great too, and I love that it has such meaning for you and your family. I guess I never thought of it as referring to anything but romantic love, but that’s what music is. It speaks to people differently. I love how it can comfort you, elicit a memory, cheer you when you are melancholy, or outright inspire you. I don’t think I could survive without music. I play the piano as well when I feel nostalgic. It drives my roommate crazy sometimes because I usually feel that way at 2 AM. I think he would have shaved me bald a long time ago if I hadn’t invested in a pair of headphones to plug into my keyboard.**

**Hey, speaking of music jokes, what do you get when you throw a piano down a mine shaft?**

**A flat minor. Ok, I had to share that with you. I’m done. : >D**

**As for the AmsterDAMN video, I’m sorry, not sorry. That bass player has a name, and it’s Tommy Joe Ratliff. He doesn’t just play bass, either. He is an amazing guitar player, and he can also play the keyboard and the drums. He’s not just a pretty face. He’s straight, though.**

**I do know the embarrassment of someone walking in when I’m not decent. Fortunately, my roommate and I have a system now since it has happened a few times. We have a code word that we text one another. Nope, I’m not sharing what it is either, but it has been a lifesaver.**

**I have never read Captain Underpants either. It’s not really my genre. I like fantasy, but I don’t want anything too far out there. I want to still be able to relate to the characters, and if the main character’s opponent is a toilet, I just can’t take it seriously. I have dropped a book on my face numerous times after falling asleep while reading. Like I said, our instructors like to assign some mind-numbing literature in the name of trying to broaden our horizons. All it does is make me have to invest in a broader bookshelf to store all the books that will inevitably sit there and collect dust. It is possible to make history fascinating and relevant. Hamilton, anyone? Maybe his next play will be about Charles Dickens.**

**I hope that your friend Maria listens to you regarding the safety schools, although I love that she dreams big. I wish that I was that confident. Alas, I have filled out so many applications and applied for so many scholarships that I think my eyes have permanently crossed from trying to read all the fine print. I do understand about wanting to get out of Ohio. That’s my dream too.**

**Fathers. Sigh. I don’t know if I can go into too many details without breaking our rule about no specifics, but I understand how you feel regarding him and your step-brother. I told you I have a brother, and he and my father used to have this amazing relationship. Then, a few years ago, my brother dropped out of business school and moved to a large city to go into show business. My father was obviously not thrilled, and now they barely speak. I guess that I’m afraid that if I came clean about my sexual identity, he would do the same with me.**

**As for the Mellencamp, he’s got some good songs, but they do kind of all sound the same. I also understand trying to take on hobbies that you can do with your father. A few summers ago, I tried rebuilding a classic car with mine. It’s still in the garage, and that’s where it will most likely stay. We drove each other insane.**

**Touchgoal thingie? Do you mean a touchdown or a field goal? Yep, you caught me. One of the sports I have played in the past is football. I don’t currently play right now since I have too many other things going on, but I played jr. leagues. I still watch college games. Go Buckeyes!**

**As for the Pride Parade, I’m sorry if including you was awkward. I wasn’t trying to be creepy. I just see you as a friend already, and the dream includes all of my friends. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I see this happening in Ohio. Of course, I won’t give up on you. I do understand the anxiety you feel about being out. I’m not ready either. You do need to know that I see a lot of courage in you, just from what I know of you already. Posting that initial message on Dalton Underground took guts. I would not have been brave enough to do it. Then, you took the risk and started talking to me even though you don’t know who I am. So don’t sell yourself short. As for you revealing your true identity to me, I know that we’ll do that eventually, but I’m content with the way things are right now. I want you to be comfortable so that I can be comfortable.**

**I want to make it clear to you that you aren’t now, nor will you ever be, a distraction to me. I enjoy talking to you as well. It’s the best part of my day, which is why I want to reiterate my apology for not replying sooner. I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I promise I wasn’t ignoring you. I hope to hear from you soon, although I’d understand if you gave me the cold shoulder. I’m going to stop typing now because I’m crossing my fingers in the hope that you’ll reply shortly, and it’s quite difficult to type like this.**

**Your friend,**

**Tony**

Blaine hit send, but he was immediately overcome with guilt. Blue’s message had expressed repeatedly that he was not ready to be revealed yet, and now someone knew. Although Sebastian didn’t know Blue’s true identity any more than he did, Sebastian now knew a lot of private information that he wasn’t supposed to know about both himself and Blue. Not only did he know those things, but he was threatening to expose them to the entire school. If Sebastian did that, Blaine would be outed. And worse, Blue would be angry at Tony for allowing Sebastian to access their private emails, not that he could blame Blue at all. He was angry at himself for allowing it to happen. He had to prevent Sebastian from posting those messages. First, he’d have to convince the council to hold auditions, which would not be an easy task this close to Regionals. They had finally decided on the numbers to perform, and they were almost impossible to persuade once they had ruled on a decision. 

Then, there was the issue of going to a gay club with Sebastian. He could end up outing himself if he ran into anyone he knew. He was also underage, and he would be sneaking into a bar with alcohol and older men. Not to mention that his parents would be angry if they knew what he was planning to do. It was a no-brainer. He couldn’t do it.

Blaine picked up his phone and hit the texting icon

 **Blaine:** I’ve been thinking of your proposal.

 **Sebastian:** Regarding the solo or Scandals? 

**Blaine:** As if they are unrelated. Regarding the solo, I’ll send an email to Wes, but it won’t be a sure thing. You know how the council is. They are responsible for song selection, and they will want to hold an audition first, even if I do talk you up. 

**Blaine:** Also, you are aware that the council puts the final selection up for a vote so that all of the Warblers get a say.

 **Sebastian:** Council. What a joke! If I was on this council, what we’d say would be it. Final!

 **Blaine:** Which is one of the reasons you aren’t on the council. And if you try to run next year, I’ll campaign against you.

 **Sebastian:** Oooohhh! Feisty Blaine! I may have to take back what I said earlier about sex not being part of the deal. 

**Blaine:** I’d rather drop dead. 

**Sebastian:** Nah. That’d be a waste of a hot piece of ass. 

**Sebastian:** I do find it funny that you think that you have a say in this, or do you not understand how blackmail works? I get the solo and you accompany me to Scandals at least three times before Regionals or I post. Is that clear?

 **Blaine:** I know very well what blackmail is. 

**Sebastian:** It doesn’t sound like it. Because if you did, you would take this more seriously. 

**Sebastian:** The clock is ticking, Blaine. It’s getting closer to midnight. 

**Blaine:** I know what a clock is and how to use one.

 **Sebastian:** I just read the word clock without the L. Good image I just had. ;-)

 **Blaine:** You’re an ass.

 **Sebastian:** I’ve got a nice one. Do you want to see for yourself?

 **Blaine:** Hell no! You know what?

 **Sebastian:** Humor me.

Just that moment, a familiar noise chimed on his laptop. 

**Blaine:** Hang on a minute. I’ve got a call coming in. I’ll message you later. 

**Sebastian:** Just don’t make it too late. Remember Cinderella. I need your decision by midnight tonight.

 **Blaine:** Fine. Gotta go

Blaine quickly opened his email. 

**New Message from** **Blue45801** **@** **daltonmail.com**

**Subject: This is me not talking to you**

Blaine gulped. Hopefully Blue would accept his apology. He read the opening paragraph and cringed. 

_Dear Tony,_

_Do you know what it’s like to finally have a friend that you can connect with, and then he sends you some psycho message blaming you for keeping him from getting his work done? Then he tells you that he’ll think about contacting you again eventually if you are lucky? Seriously? You have no idea how pissed I was to get that message. I felt like you were blowing me off. I should do the same thing to you._

_Yet, at the same time, I was relieved to get your last message explaining what happened. I wanted to reply and tell you to screw off, and maybe, I’d eventually make time for you in a few weeks, but I can’t. Not talking to you has been hell, and I’ve grown accustomed to checking my email for a new message. With that being said, you’re off the hook, this time, but don’t let it happen again._

Blaine sighed a breath of relief. He had been so afraid when he saw the subject title. He smiled softly and scrolled down the message. 

_I’m so glad that your presentation went well. I knew it would. You seem quite intelligent if our messages are any indicator of that. No more procrastination, though. I was just as stressed out about your project as you were because I kept thinking I would cause you to get a poor grade or something._

_Oooohhhhhhh! Swinging human pinata! I have to admit that I’ve had fantasies of doing that to a few people, especially a former coach of mine. She was absolutely insane. Although talking about stringing someone up and swinging a bat at them doesn’t make me sound too sane either, I guess._

_Thank you for understanding that I’m just not ready. Although I’m glad your experience with your friend went well, mine could be different. I hope that it won’t be, but I guess I’ve heard too many negative coming out stories to be completely at peace with the idea. I'm a hope for the best, expect the worst kind of guy. With the way my life has gone up to this point, I know the reason I’m like this. I wish I wasn’t, but life has kicked me down one too many times to be the optimistic type. It sounds like you are. I wish I could be more like you._

Blaine reread Blue’s words. Allowing Sebastian to out Blue would be wrong. It felt like Blaine’s stomach sank to his knees. It would be an absolute betrayal on his part. 

_Tony is a good pseudonym. I love West Side Story. I’m actually going to see it at the Westerville Community Theatre on the opening night. I have a few friends that are in it. I auditioned for Tony but I didn’t get the role. The guy that did is great though. You know him. I guess you do if you are a Warbler. He’s the same guy I was fussing about getting all of the Warbler solos. As I said though, he deserves them. He’s extremely talented, and he’s such a natural performer that you can’t take your eyes off him when he’s on stage. Sigh. I don’t stand a chance of getting a solo when I’m up against him._

Did Blue somehow know that he was talking to the very soloist that he was talking about? If he did, was he attempting to use flattery to get himself a solo? But if he was trying to do that, why would he insult himself in the process? Blaine continued reading.

_Shit! I just thought about you being a Warbler too, and so I could be speaking to a member of the council, although I doubt that you are any of those guys. I’ve seen David with his tongue down his girlfriend’s throat one too many times for me to even consider that you are him. You don’t talk like Wes or Thad either. You are too calm and level-headed to be Thad, and your conversational style is different than Wes’. He uses too much legal jargon. I sometimes think that he’s only head of the Warblers so he can be in control of that damn gavel. We have a future supreme court justice in our presence. If you are one of the council members, I apologize for my candid observations. They are all great guys, and I’m proud to be a part of such a talented and well-rounded team. My old glee club wasn’t like that at all._

Blaine laughed. Blue was very observant of the council members. Blaine reflected on the last two paragraphs. No. Blue didn’t know with whom he was conversing. He was just a sweet boy that looked up to his team. Blaine read on. 

_I was hoping that you were a Beatles fan. It just proves that I was right about you. If you weren’t, I just don’t know how much musical chemistry we could have. I mean, we honestly had to have some because we both admitted that we at least had respect for Freddy Mercury, Adam Lambert, and West Side Story. Your taste had to be good, but now we can be musical soul brothers. As for your remark about Ke$ha, my girlfriend sounds a lot like her. Although I think I just insulted my girlfriend because I think Ke$ha has a much too processed and autotuned sound. Luckily, I don’t plan on admitting that to her. Alas, I see a future car trip in which I'm forced to listen to the lyrical content of Tik Tok. Sigh!_

_I say we start a campaign for the next Warblers setlist to be a Beatles Tribute. We need to submit the idea anonymously, of course, and see if it gets anywhere. We can dream, right?_

Blaine nodded as he continued reading. ****

_I already made my comments about the Warblers lead, and that’s that. I’m not saying anything else. I try hard to not get caught up on straight guys. I’ve done that once, and it was extremely awkward. I refuse to do it again. But as I previously stated, he is an amazing performer. Ok, I’m done. New Topic._ ****

Blue definitely wasn’t aware that he was talking to Blaine, because he was sure Blaine was straight. Blaine smiled. He did work hard to blend in with the other straight boys. But Sebastian said he saw right through him. Maybe Blue didn’t have developed gaydar. Of course he didn’t. He said he didn’t know any other gay people. How was he to learn how to spot other gay boys if everyone he was around was straight? 

_Regarding Sopranos. Yep. It’s true. Granted the ones I know are both incredible, so I understand their egos, but I do have duct tape and a sock handy in case I need it._

_Regarding the mash-up, we’ve already had that discussion. Beatles, duh! As what to mash it up with, hmmm. No top forty. What about a Queen/Beatles mash-up? All You Need is Somebody to Love. It just slides off the tongue. ‘Who Wants to Live Forever with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’ ‘Another One Bites the Day Tripper.’ Ok, not so great. “I Wanna Hold Your Killer Queen.’ Even worse. Ok. I’m out of ideas. Your turn._

Blaine burst out laughing at his witty friend’s mashup ideas. A Queen/Beatles mashup would be a cool idea if they fused the right song. A medley of some sort? Blaine scratched his head. His new friend could be onto something. 

_I didn’t realize the meaning of Blackbird, but it does make sense. They do have a lot of symbolic songs, although a few are straight to the point. And some are just weird. ‘I am the Walrus’ and ‘Yellow Submarine’? And don’t even ask me what the hell Come Together is about. : >D. _

_Playing the keyboard at 2 AM. No wonder you send me weird emails if you stay up all hours of the night to play Beatles songs on your keyboard. You are sleep deprived. I have to admit that I’m often awake at two AM as well. If you aren’t able to fall asleep, you are welcome to message me if I’m awake. I know what it’s like to lie there trying to get your brain to shut off._

It would be nice to have someone to talk to when he couldn’t sleep. He knew exactly what Blue was referring to when he said his mind wouldn’t shut off. 

_Hey, did you hear what happened when a C, an E-flat and a G walk into a bar?_

_The bartender said, "Sorry, but we don't serve minors,” and tosses them out. ;^D_

Blaine burst out laughing once again. He had found a true, genuine friend in Blue, someone who understood his music jokes and cracked his own. He was someone that paid attention to him, and he didn’t jump in and try to give him advice. He was listening and even trying to make it known that he struggled with some of the same issues. Even though Blaine felt like he made friends fairly easy, he knew that friends like this didn’t come along every day. Blue wasn’t being nice because he wanted something from Blaine. He wasn’t sucking up because of who his father was or because of his friendship with the Warblers council members. He wasn’t blackmailing him to get a solo. Blue was being one hundred percent honest with him. And Blaine was lying to him and he was seconds away from telling Sebastian to go to hell and do whatever he wanted with the messages. Blaine felt like shit, but he decided to keep reading. ****

_I looked up this Tommy Ratliff guy. Damn you, by the way for causing me to jump down that particular rabbit hole. He is straight, and since I have already told you I’m not going down that road, that is that. Adam is admittedly gay, so I can still have my fantasies of him. As for the code word, that’s smart. We just do a Dalton tie on the door knob, but we sometimes forget the tie, and then it’s awkward. I’ve walked in on him more than he’s walked in on me. Not to mention, he tends to- um- pleasure himself in his sleep. I usually don’t say anything. I don’t think that he’s aware that I have issues with insomnia. I don’t even think he knows he’s doing it. It’s probably not something I should be sharing._

_That settles it. No more talk of Captain Underpants. As for a Hamilton style musical on Charles Dickens, I’d watch. Which one of us is going to contact Lin Manuel Miranda? Maybe we should start a campaign for that too._

_So, the fact that you are already filling out college applications tells me that you are probably not a Freshman. Hmmmm. I know. I’m not supposed to ask. Technically, I’m not asking. I’m using deductive reasoning. So let’s see. That makes you either a junior or a senior. I know. I know. I’ll stop while I’m ahead. You don’t have to say anything._

Damn. Blue kept showing Blaine how intelligent he was with his insight. Should he respond and tell Blue that he was indeed a Junior? Blue might laugh that he’s filling out applications already, but some of the schools were Ivy league, and you had to apply early. Besides, it was February. His junior year was almost over. He wasn’t mailing those applications yet, but he wanted to have a head start so that he wasn’t caught off guard when it was time to send them in. He began to wonder if Blue was an older student as well. He most likely wasn’t a Freshman. Most Freshmen didn’t even get into the Warblers. Blaine scrolled down further. ****

_I’m sorry that your relationship with your brother suffers because of the rift between him and your father. That must be difficult, and I understand your hesitance to tell him. My situation is different. My step-brother is such a guy’s guy like my dad that I sometimes wonder if my dad wishes that I was more like Floyd. (No, Floyd is not his real name. I wanted to stay with the theme I picked and choose a color, but then I realize how stupid I’d sound calling my friends red and orange and purple, so he’s Floyd.) My dad took Floyd to a game recently, and though I went too, it broke my heart. It’s just so natural for those two. I do try to keep up with the conversations about sports, and I force myself to focus during the games on tv so that we’ll have something to talk about, but it’s just so hard. I’d rather be reading an issue of Vogue. I snatch my stepmom’s when she isn’t looking. It’s a good way to stimulate my mind when I can’t sleep as long as I don’t fall asleep with it on my face. So far, so good._

_As for the Mellencamp songs all sounding the same, they do don’t they? I’m glad I’m not the only person that feels that way._

_I meant a field goal. I told you I only played one game. Of course, you’d have to be a football enthusiast as well. Because of my father and Floyd, I can discuss it. I just have other topics I’d prefer to discuss instead._

_Including me in your dream isn’t awkward. I’m flattered that you see me as a close friend so soon. However, I don’t plan on coming out in Ohio. I plan to wait until after I graduate. Like I said previously, I will move away from Ohio to a big city, a place where I’ll hopefully be more accepted than I am here. Then, I’ll start telling people. That’s the current plan, anyway._

Blue had to be a Junior or a senior himself. He had said in a previous message that his friend was looking into applying to a school as well. Blue might have been like Rory Gilmore, knowing that he wanted to attend a certain school since he was a preteen, but he doubted this was the case. Blue spoke about college like it was within reach. What if he was a junior like himself? There were a few juniors in the Warblers. Blaine glanced back at the framed picture on his desk. Jeff, Nick, David, Thad, Sebastian, Cameron, Andrew, and Kurt. 

Blaine sucked in a breath. There was no way Blue was Nick. Nick had said otherwise, and it was obvious that his friend was clueless when he mentioned the possibility of him being Blue. Blue couldn’t be Jeff either. Blue mentioned a stepmother and a stepbrother. Jeff had three sisters and his biological family was intact. There was no way Blue was David or Thad, not with the way he talked about them earlier. 

Blue wasn’t Sebastian either because Sebastian was an absolute jerk who wanted to extort him and Blue. Why would he threaten to do that if he was Blue? That would be pointless and stupid. That left three options: Cameron, Andrew or Kurt. Blaine’s heart started thumping wildly in his chest at the realization that Blue could still be Kurt. His mind started to drift for a minute until he realized that he needed to reply to this message in a timely manner. He scrolled on to the next paragraph. 

_Thank you for saying I have courage. You do too though. I mean, you’re the only one that responded to my message. I know we aren’t the only closeted boys at Dalton. At least, I don’t think we are. I’d like to think I’m developing my gaydar, and I’ve pegged a few guys. Of course, I could be wrong._

Blaine started thinking of his own gaydar and the three guys he’d narrowed it down to be. Was it possible for any of them? They all had girlfriends. Yet, so did Blue. Blaine sighed. He was one step closer, but he realized that he didn’t know Cameron and Andrew that well. He didn’t know Kurt as well as he’d like to either. Maybe he needed to fix that. He’d have to come up with a plan to spend more time with the three boys inconspicuously. 

_I’m glad to hear that I’m not a distraction for you. When you implied that it in your previous message, I did contemplate deleting this email and freezing you out. It’s a good thing that you emailed me when you did or I would have. I do forgive you if this long-winded message didn’t already give you proof of that. Just don’t do it again. This is me flushing that cough syrup down the toilet. Now uncross those fingers and reply, dammit!_

_Sincerely,_

_Blue._

Blaine reflected on the entirety of the message he just read. He started thinking again about Blue and the possibility that it was Kurt. He hit reply and started to type something when his phone chimed.

 **Sebastian:** It’s 11:30. I have copied the messages into a post. Have you made a decision?

 **Blaine:** I haven’t heard from Wes yet regarding the solo. I didn’t get a chance to email Wes until 9:00 and I know for a fact that he turns in at 8:30 sharp. He hasn’t seen it yet.

 **Sebastian:** Fine, I’ll grant you a reprieve on that front until tomorrow. However, I need an answer to the other condition. 

**Blaine:** Yes.

 **Sebastian:** Yes, what? You’ll have to be more specific.

 **Blaine:** Fine. I’ll be your wingman.

 **Sebastian:** Excellent. I’ll see you Thursday, Killer. And remember, don’t dress like a grandpa.

 **Blaine:** I make no guarantees. 

**Sebastian:** I can offer my services to go shopping with you for an appropriate outfit.

 **Blaine:** In that case, I CAN guarantee that I will not look like a grandpa. No blazer, No bowtie. No cardigan. 

**Sebastian:** I just got a mental image of you WITHOUT the blazer and the cardigan. Strangely, you were still wearing a bowtie, but not in the intended way. ;D 

**Sebastian:** Excuse me for a few moments. I have a problem I need to handle, and I need my typing hand. 

**Blaine:** God, I regret all of those times I felt bad when Jeff called you a jackass. You’re just proving he’s right. 

**Sebastian:** I was kidding. God, don’t be so uptight. If you look pathetic, I’ll just pretend I don’t know you, and then we’ll try again another night. 

**Blaine:** No, not happening. I promise I’ll look hot. I’ll have to go shopping. 

**Sebastian:** Here’s a tip. You need something to accentuate your ass. Tight jeans.

 **Sebastian:** Wear a form-fitting shirt, but nothing too bright unless you want to send the message that you’re a bottom. 

**Sebastian:** I will go shopping with you if you need me to do so. Dressing room sex has always been on my bucket list. 

**Blaine:** Hell no. I’ll find something. So, do we have a deal?

 **Sebastian:** I closed the window on the Dalton Underground site. Your secret is safe with me. That is, unless you fail to keep your end of the bargain.

 **Sebastian:** But for tonight, we have a deal. I’ll see you Thursday. 

Blaine sighed. What the hell was he going to wear? He spent all of his time trying to find clothing that made him appear straight. He had no clue what gay men wore. He'd have to get someone to go shopping with him. Someone who knew something about fashion. Unfortunately, Nick would live in his Dalton t-shirt hoodie if he was allowed and Jeff’s mother still did his shopping for him. Maybe Tina and her boyfriend, Mike, could go with him. He always looked nice. He grabbed his phone and texted Tina.

 **Blaine:** Tay Tay, you still awake?

 **Tina:** Blainey Days! I am. I’m working on the wardrobe for Regionals. What do you need?

 **Blaine:** I need a gigantic favor. I need some new clothes. 

**Tina:** How can I help you? 

**Blaine:** Could we go shopping tomorrow? And can you bring Mike?

 **Tina:** I can't go with you and neither can Mike. He’ll be in rehearsal. One of the dancers got injured during the last practice, and he needs to make sure the new guy can keep up. 

**Tina:** I’m up to my eyeballs in silk and tulle for all these dresses for Regionals. I’m so behind. I’m actually sewing right now while I watch Grease.

 **Tina:** Hey, why don’t you invite Kurt?

 **Blaine:** Kurt? Kurt Hummel? Why?

 **Tina:** Really Blaine? Kurt used to help me in the costuming department in Glee. The reason I’m so behind is that he’s not here anymore. He has a real eye for fashion. I know I’ve told you this?

 **Blaine:** I’m sorry. However, you do remember that we wear uniforms, right? As for Kurt, I rarely see him out of uniform. 

**Tina:** You are missing out. He’s very talented, and he’s already right there at Dalton. 

**Tina:** Ask him. I can ask you if it makes you more comfortable. Do you have his number?

 **Blaine:** Yeah. I’ll do that. Thanks Tay Tay. 

**Tina:** You’re welcome, Blainey Days. I’ll see you at play rehearsal Thursday. 

**Blaine:** Thursday! Shoot! I forgot about that. I’ll be there, but I’ll have to leave early.

 **Tina:** I don’t know how she’ll l react to that with the shows coming up so soon. 

**Blaine:** Cover for me, please?

 **Tina:** Ok. See you.

 **Blaine:** :-D

Blaine closed out the chat window and began searching in his contacts for another name. Before he could overthink it, he selected the name he was searching for and typed in his message. 

**Blaine:** Hey. I need to ask a favor.

 **Kurt:** I don’t recognize this number. Who is this? And why are you texting so late?

 **Blaine:** I'm sorry. It's Blaine Anderson. Remember, you gave me your number after we decided to study together for your Charlemagne report?

 **Kurt:** Oh, of course. How can I assist you? 

**Blaine:** I need your eyes.

 **Kurt:** Um, I wasn’t planning on giving those up anytime soon. :^D Besides, as late as it is, they probably won't be very useful.

 **Blaine:** Oh ha, ha. I mean, I need you to come with me to the mall. Tina told me that you have an incredible eye for fashion, and apparently, I could use it. 

**Kurt:** You had me at the word mall. When and what time? 

**Blaine:** Tomorrow after Warbler practice. Oh, a heads up. I heard the council has decided to go in a different direction for our final number at regionals. They may be holding auditions.

 **Kurt:** Wait, why are you telling me this?

 **Blaine:** Because I know you’d like a solo. At least, you’ve auditioned for several. I just wanted to let you know they were considering it. 

**Kurt:** I don’t think I’m the one they're interested in. But thanks for thinking of me.

 **Kurt:** Can we talk tomorrow? I have facial cream all over my hands and I don’t want to get it on my phone.

 **Blaine:** Of course. See you tomorrow.

 **Kurt:** Bye. 

He put his cellphone down on his desk and looked over at his computer screen. He hadn’t emailed Blue back yet. He hit the compose button and began typing. 

**New Message to** **Blue45801@daltonmail.com**

 **Subject:** Sorry this took so long

**Dear Blue,**

**I started to reply as soon as I finished reading your message, but something came up. I was so terrified that you were done talking to me. You have every right to be pissed. Thank you for giving me a second chance. It was awful not hearing from you for those two days. I swear I had forgotten that I had replied to your other message so I was waiting for you to write to me. I promise that I won’t let it happen again.**

**I’m sorry that I stressed you out. I normally don’t procrastinate, but I think I told you before that I had something better to do. : >D I don’t regret talking to you and getting to know you. I promise to manage my time from now on. I’m saying this after 11 PM on a school night. Sigh. **

**Once again, I’m trying to guess what sport you play. Hmmm. It’s a female coach, so that limits my guesses. Although I heard there’s a female football coach a few towns over that has won several championships, so I guess I was being stereotypical. You told me you played football a little bit, so you may be talking about that coach. Hmmmmmm?**

**I am an optimist. It often gets me into trouble because I only see the best in people. I have been burned a few times because of it. However, I’d rather see the good in people rather than the bad. Maybe that makes me a glutton for punishment, but I don’t want to go through life thinking that everyone is going to screw me over. I’m not saying that you do this. You obviously have been hurt before, and it’s wise to guard your heart.**

Blaine grimaced. If he wasn’t able to get Sebastian that solo, Sebastian would post their messages, and he would be added to the list of people that had knocked him down. 

**I’m going to see WestSide Story too. I was so excited when I heard they would be putting on that show. I have friends in the show too. I’m sorry that you didn’t get the part of Tony. I bet you would’ve been amazing.**

Blaine felt overcome with guilt. Blue auditioned for Tony and didn’t get it because of him. He had been performing at the community theater for years, ever since Cooper was twelve and dragged them both to an audition. Cooper wound up with the role of Pinnochio, and Blaine was Gepetto’s cat. For years, Blaine looked on with jealousy as his brother nailed every audition for every lead part . After Cooper graduated and moved out of Ohio, though, Blaine finally had his chance to shine, and he realized that he had become a fierce competitor because of his rivalry with Cooper. Although, now he realized that Blue was right. Blaine had pretty much landed that role without even auditioning. 

**You are talking about Blaine Anderson, right? I’ve known him my whole life, and he has been performing since he was a toddler. However, you are a Warbler. You must be incredible as well. They don’t just let anyone in. Hey, I did hear Blaine say that he didn’t like having all of the solos. He thinks they should showcase other talents as well. Maybe you’ll** **still get a shot.**

Blaine felt his stomach flip. He felt horrible that he couldn’t just say, it’s me. I’m Blaine! He felt worse that he told him that a solo was going to be up for grabs when it wasn’t. Although, the council wasn’t going to hand one over to Sebastian. It would be much more fun if he had to fight for it. 

**I’m not a council member, I assure you. As for David, be glad that you’ve only seen him kissing a girl. I’ve walked in on far worse. I’m not going to elaborate. If I don’t sound like Wes or Thad, who do I sound like? I do agree that Wes is a future judge in the making. He’d be great at it. Don’t apologize for your honesty. I find it refreshing. Although now I’m curious. What was your old glee club like? I know, I know. No names. You just made it sound like maybe it wasn’t a pleasant club to be a part of.**

**Musical soul brothers? I’m not sure what that is, but it sounds awesome. As for your remark about insulting your girlfriend, I won’t tell. I can’t. LOL. I don’t know who she is. I have the same issue with many pop artists today. They autotune everything. I want to hear the imperfections, the grittiness. Could you imagine if someone tried to autotune Janis Joplin or Freddy Mercury? I think they both would have told the sound technicians where to go.**

**I think the Beatles Tribute is an awesome idea. If you launch the campaign, I’ll support it and try to get everyone on board. I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but hey it’s the Beatles. It’s worth a shot.**

**You’ve been hung up on straight guys too? I’m glad I’m not the only one. It’s so awkward.**

**Sopranos aren’t the only ones with egos. My brother is a tenor, and I tried to duct tape his mouth shut on more than one occasion. I was grounded for a week for that. It was so worth it!**

**Yes! We have to do the Beatles/Queen Mashup, although I’m not sure the ones you mentioned would fit musically. Mashups are hard to figure out, but I do think it’d be so cool if we could pull it off. Surely you and I could figure it out. I like the ‘All You Need Is Somebody to Love.’ That's a hell of a title. I’m going to have to try that. My roommate is going to kill me. He’ll probably join right in if it’s as good as I imagine it would be.**

**Yes, some of the Beatles songs are just fun. A fun fact. ‘Come Together’ was originally written for a political campaign, but the man John wrote it for was arrested and had to drop out of the presidential race. John rewrote it and recorded it with The Beatles. It’s a pretty fun story.**

**You probably shouldn’t have offered to talk to me if I couldn’t sleep because I will definitely take you up on that offer. I’m not a hopeless insomniac, but some nights I could sleep better if I could get my mind to shut off.**

**So did you hear what happened after C, E flat and G were thrown out of the bar?**

**E-flat leaves and C and G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough.**

**D comes in and heads for the bathroom saying, "Excuse me. I'll just be a second." Then A comes in, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. Then the bartender notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, "Get out! You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight.”**

**I could go on. I love that joke. : >D**

**Yes, I should have warned you that Tommy Ratliff was straight. Although we both claim to be straight, and well, you see where I’m going with this. But honestly, I prefer Adam. He’s incredibly hot, and he’s actually gay. However, I don’t think I’m just attracted to only his appearance. I love his attitude. He’s smart, open-minded, kind and he’s willing to learn and try new things. He also has an amazing style. He is very unique and bold. Some of the things he’s worn on stage are so out there that they shouldn’t work but, somehow, they always look amazing on him. I think I would look for a significant other with those qualities. Well, if there’s a guy out there that’s single that has all of those qualities. Sigh!**

**Regarding the roommate issue, yes it’s awkward. But we’re guys, right? We have urges. I think that’s why they invented masturbation. Yep. I’m being crass again, but you said this was a safe place. I think that it’s better for a guy to experiment with himself and find out what he likes instead of going out there and throwing himself around and getting involved with someone that he’s not interested in just because he’s aroused. I know it’s a stereotype that gay men like to just mess around with one another without committing, but I know there are some romantics out there, or at least I hope that there are. I’m not saying I’m saving myself for marriage or anything, but I do believe that I eventually want a monogamous relationship with a man and even a family with him. Our country is finally realizing that gay people should be allowed to marry too, and I think I want that someday. Regarding the roommate that pleasures himself in his sleep, I’ve done that too, I think. Either that, or it was a wet-dream that I didn’t remember having. I was mortified, but luckily my roommate never brought it up. It’s probably a good thing that you didn’t say anything. As for me, I won’t tell anybody. How could I? What would I say? Hey, this guy I’ve been emailing said that his roommate masturbates in his sleep. No. I don’t see myself bringing that up in conversation.**

**Ok, fine. No more Captain Underpants. :( :( :(. But how else will I get you so riled up? Boo!**

**You have all of these ideas about starting campaigns. Are you a future politician? There’s a few of those at Dalton. There are several politicians' sons at Dalton. I’m not trying to get you to tell more personal information. I was just curious. However, if you do contact Lin-Manuel Miranda, I would completely support you in your efforts. We could call it “What in the Dickens?” What do you suggest?**

**You are the one that started this anonymous thing. All I’ll say is you’re right. I’m not a Freshman or a Sophomore. You don’t sound like a Freshman or a Sophomore either. Am I right?**

**As for your relationship with your dad, I get it. My dad and my brother used to be close, and I felt pretty jealous of the way they bonded. After my brother moved out, my father has made an effort to not allow the same kind of thing to happen between us. It is an underlying fear of mine that when I come out to him, the same thing will happen to us.**

**Vogue! Oh my God! I read every issue I can get my hands on although I’m a closeted (haha) fan like yourself. I’ve learned to remove the cover and put it inside an ESPN cover. Is that bad?**

**Don’t get me wrong about Mellencamp. He’s not a bad artist. I just like artists that are a little more edgy, like P!nk, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Maroon 5, or Katy Perry. I know what you are thinking. Katy Perry is edgy. I mean, how many other girls are brave enough to ask to see a man’s peacock? We’ve done a few of Katy’s songs in the Warblers, but I just don’t ever see them doing that one. Boo!**

**Yes, I’m a football fan, but I don’t play it. I can’t. Dalton doesn’t have a team anymore. They have plenty of other sports, and I do play a few. Since you don’t like to discuss football though, I can respect that. We can talk about plenty of other topics.**

**I respect you for having a plan to come out. I’d like to think I would do the same thing, but I will probably end up blurting it out one night when I get frustrated or something. I mean, my best friend (one of them) already knows. I know he won’t say anything though. It is a fear of mine that someone will find out and out me. My coming out is supposed to be my moment, and I wouldn’t want anyone to steal that from me or you.**

Blaine winced. Blue was right. His coming out was his moment, something he should be able to control. He felt his cheeks grow red with anger as he thought of what he had to do to protect not only his secret but Blue’s as well. Blue had trusted him, and to allow someone to expose their private emails would be a betrayal. Blue would never want to speak to him again. He honestly couldn’t blame Blue if that happened. It would be his fault for being so careless with his laptop. 

**I try to be courageous, but I currently feel like a coward. I wish I could be more proud of my actions, but I feel like I’m hiding so much of myself away from everyone.**

**We aren’t the only closeted boys at Dalton. I’ve discovered recently that there are several. I know this for a fact. Nope. I’m not saying who. Those aren’t my secrets to tell. I know you wouldn’t ask though because you are such a classy guy.**

**Thank you for not freezing me out. I would’ve been heartbroken. You have become a great friend to me, and if I knew that I did something to hurt you, I’d never forgive myself. It really means a lot to me that you are giving me a second chance. I promise to never do it again. Thank you for giving me permission to uncross my fingers. Typing like that has been hell.**

**Sincerely,**

**Tony**

Blaine took a deep breath and hit send as he contemplated the mess that he was currently in. He rose to his feet and went to the sink. He brushed his teeth and rinsed the gel out of his hair. He towel-dried his curls quickly and hung the towel up to dry. He stared in the mirror at his reflection. Thursday, he had to go to a gay club with a guy he didn’t like and try to look enticing. He had no clue how in the hell to do that. Sure, sometimes girls slipped him their numbers, but he never really knew what it was about him that made them so interested. He sighed, walked over to his bed, and crawled under the duvet. 

As he lay in bed, he contemplated sending Sebastian a text telling him he couldn’t do the whole wingman thing at Scandals. But Sebastian had said it would be a deal-breaker if he backed out. He couldn’t do that. Backing out would mean that he would be risking being outed. Blue had said he was fairly new to the school, so the probability that he would be exposed was low. Blaine knew though that plenty of people knew enough about him and his backstory that they could figure out that he was Tony. He couldn’t allow that to happen. His last thought before drifting off to sleep was that he hoped that Kurt was as good as Tina said because he needed an absolute miracle to pull this off.


	7. Make Me Over

**Chapter 7**

“Seriously, Blaine, you wore the blazer?” Kurt teased as they stood just inside the entrance of the mall. You know it isn’t required outside of Dalton, right?” 

“Of course. It’s just a comfort thing. I like the blazer. It’s classy. You know you like it, too.” Blaine chuckled.

Kurt shook his head. “Actually, I’m not a huge fan of it. It looks nice on you, but for me, it’s too typical and expected...almost boring. Clothing is a form of personal expression, and I don’t want my wardrobe to say, ‘meh’,” Kurt explained as he began walking toward the cluster of clothing stores. 

“Are you saying my clothes are communicating to others that I’m boring?” Blaine asked as he stopped walking.

“I can’t say that, honestly, because I’ve never seen you in anything other than Dalton attire. Even when you aren’t in class, you’re wearing the blazer or the Dalton sweatshirt. I was beginning to wonder if you owned any other clothes,” Kurt teased.

“Of course I do, but I ended up bringing most of them home after Freshman year. They just seemed to take up space, and then I spent more time doing laundry. Besides pajamas, workout gear, and some basic casual wear for play practice, I didn’t really need anything else. It was just easier,” Blaine explained. 

“And yet, I got this frantic text last night that tells me that you had a recent change of heart. Any particular reason for that?” Kurt questioned as he began walking once more toward Aeropostale.

“I got invited to an informal event, and then he told me not to dress like a grandpa,” Blaine replied honestly, averting Kurt’s gaze. 

“By an informal event, you mean?”

“A party, where there will be dancing and stuff,” Blaine fibbed as they walked near the doors of the chain store and stopped. 

“Ah, I see. No grandpas allowed,” Kurt teased. “What look are you going for?”

“Hot, I guess,” Blaine blurted, his cheeks quickly turning red. “I mean, I want to look good, obviously.”

“Then, why Aeropostale?” Kurt laughed. “And why did you ask me?” Kurt asked, raising his eyebrows questionably as they entered the store. 

“I guess I said Aeropostale because I know they have polo shirts there, and I asked you because girls think you dress nice. Tina said you were the person to ask,” Blaine explained. “I mean, I would never put the outfit together that you have on, but it looks amazing. Girls haven’t stopped staring.”

“It might not be at me. You see, I’m standing next to a dork in a blazer who thinks a polo shirt is informal party attire,” Kurt laughed. “Thank you, though. I appreciate you saying I look nice. I miss being able to wear my actual clothes at school,” he said as they started glancing through the racks.

Blaine smiled. “They look nice. How do you get them to fit so well? They look like they were made for you.”

“That’s because they were. I made most of this. I found the hat on sale online, and of course, the boots are Doc Martens, but the rest of this ensemble has been at least modified if not created by yours truly. There’s just not a lot off the rack that’s suitable for a young, fashionable man in Ohio.”

“I’m impressed. Tina told me that you helped her a lot with the costuming, but she didn’t tell me you were that good with a needle. Plus, I never get to see you without the Dalton blazer. So what would you suggest for me?” Blaine asked as they browsed through the racks. “Since there are so few things that are suitable off the rack,” Blaine teased.

“Well, first we need to talk about the features you want to accentuate. What do girls say are the best things about you?” Kurt smiled, looking at the soloist.

“My voice and my manners.” Blaine blurted.

Kurt giggled. “I meant, physically. What do they compliment on your body?”

“Um, girls haven’t really seen my body. The uniform is loose-fitting and covers from the neck down. Besides, I haven’t ever had a serious girlfriend,” Blaine replied. 

“Ok, let’s take a different approach to this. Let me assess this for myself. First, ditch the blazer,” Kurt laughed, brushing the jacket with his fingers. 

“Fine,” Blaine said, carefully removing it and draping it over his arm. 

“Stand still for a minute,” Kurt fussed as Blaine shuffled the jacket to his other arm. Blaine froze as Kurt ran the pads of his fingers over Blaine’s face. “Alright. You have beautiful eyes. Hazel with specks of green and gold. The colors that would best compliment your eyes are dark neutrals, such as brown tones and grays. However, you might want to go with something bolder to make them pop.” Kurt started shuffling through a rack and pulled a muted top with a dark orange and purple color combination. “The orange in this will make the green in your eyes pop. And the length and fit of the sleeve will accentuate your biceps. You play sports, right?”

Blaine nodded. “Yeah. I box, fence, and wrestle. I used to play football too, but I stopped last year. Why do you ask?”

“Because your arms are more toned than I thought. That blazer doesn’t do your arms or your torso justice. Now, turn around,” the brunette demanded. 

“Why?”

“So I can steal your wallet,” Kurt giggled. “I need to see you posterior assets. Your uniform slacks aren't the best cut for your body type.”

Blaine shook his head no. “Please don’t tell me you want me to squeeze my butt into a pair of jeans like yours. I don’t want to cut off my air supply.”

Blaine wasn’t sure because Kurt ducked his head, but it appeared as though he was blushing. “From what I understand from biology, you don’t actually breathe from that end, Blaine,” Kurt chuckled. 

Blaine blushed profusely. “Hush. Seriously, how do you wear those things?”

“I’ve gotten used to them, but I also dress for my body type. I have long, slender legs which are much more toned than one might think. The skinny jeans draw attention to them.”

“That’s for sure,” Blaine blurted, then blushed again. “You said you were once a cheerleader, right?”

“Yes, and Coach Sue made sure that we stayed in shape. I can’t complain though. It makes my jazzercise routines seem like child’s play. I rarely break a sweat. But let’s get back on topic. Skinny jeans would be the wrong fit for you. Your legs are shorter, and your booty is more rounded.”

“Did you just say booty?” Blaine chuckled as his cheeks tinged pink once again. He shifted his gaze to a clothing rack with some chinos. He pulled a gold-colored pair from the rack. “What about these?”

Kurt frowned. “Nope, no good. Although the shortened length may make your legs appear longer, they also would draw attention to the fact that you aren’t wearing socks.”

“I hate socks. They’re so constricting,” Blaine replied, flipping through more slacks. 

“Clearly, that’s going to be an issue with you,” Kurt chuckled. “Anyway, you have a trapezoid body shape.”

“Meaning?” Blaine asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion. 

“You have a medium, athletic build. You need to pick a slim or straight cut with a low rise to draw attention to your assets,” Kurt said with a grin.

“Are you complimenting my ass?” Blaine asked, arching his eyebrows. 

“Rachel thinks you have a nice ass,” Kurt replied looking away again, his eyes turning to the racks of clothes in front of them.. “But then again, she also thinks that reindeer sweaters are in fashion so her assessment is questionable at best. However, some girls like a shapely butt on a man. They even have a new underwear line with butt pads for men that want junk in the trunk but don’t have it.”

Blaine jerked his head up as if what Kurt was saying was the most ludicrous thing he’d ever heard. “Wait, you’re serious?” 

Kurt nodded. “Anyway, I think you should wear jeans, dark wash in a slim cut is what I have here,” Kurt said, thrusting a pair of jeans into Blaine’s arms.

“I’m not really a jeans kind of guy,” Blaine protested.

“I already picked up that vibe,” Kurt laughed, “but you said this was for a night out. You don’t want to give the impression that you wandered away from the retirement home.”

Blaine looked hurt. “I prefer to call my style classy chic.”

“Call it what you’d like, but you aren’t getting dressed for church. This is for a party with teenagers. You have to know your audience. And if you are looking to pick up a date, you need to dress to impress,” Kurt said, handing Blaine another pair of jeans to try on. “But we can try colored jeans or a different material if you’d like. Just no leather, unless it's shoes, belts, or a jacket.”

Blaine laughed. “Not going to be an issue. So, you really know your stuff. How did you learn all of this?” Blaine asked as he draped the jeans Kurt just gave him on top of his blazer.

“I study it. I love fashion. I’ve watched every season of Project Runway. I guess I always thought that if music didn’t work out as a career for me, I’d be just as happy in fashion. I just love the way you can express yourself through your clothing,” Kurt smiled.

“So the Dalton uniforms must be hell for you,” Blaine surmised. Kurt nodded. “Why did you transfer to Dalton, if you don’t mind me asking?” Blaine asked as he caught another article of clothing tossed into his arms. “You don’t have to tell me. It just seems like McKinley was a better fit for you, and I can tell that you miss your friends and your girlfriend a lot.”

“I do, but it’s a lot safer at Dalton. A kid at my school was attacked. A friend of mine. The guys who did it said I was next. So my dad withdrew me that very afternoon.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand why anyone would see you as a target. You fit in so well at Dalton. Do you plan on going back to McKinley?” Blaine questioned as he pretended to look through a rack of printed tees.

“They saw me as a threat because I spoke out against their Neanderthal ways. And thanks for saying I fit in at Dalton, but I don’t. And if you think that I’m going to answer your question and ignore the fact that you’re trying to sneak a t-shirt into your pile, you’ve got the wrong guy,” Kurt teased, grabbing Blaine’s arm and pulling him toward the buttoned-up shirts. “These will be a better pick. They say classy, but they come in so many styles and colors that you can infuse your own style.”

Blaine smiled. “And these say party?”

“They can, with the right accessories,” Kurt smiled.

“Accessories? Like a bow tie?”

“No, Gramps. Not at all. I meant glasses, a jacket, a belt, or a watch. Try these on, and then I’ll take you to the place where it all comes together,” Kurt said, playfully tossing the items in his hand at Blaine. 

____________________________________________________________________

Blaine collapsed into his desk chair, releasing a long, exhausted moan. Never had he ever been a part of such an intense shopping adventure. They had literally been shooed out of Top Notch fifteen minutes after closing time, but it had been worth it. Blaine had exited the store with three heavy bags and a much lighter wallet. He quickly grabbed his cell phone and sent a text to Tina.

 **Blaine:** Kurt definitely knows how to shop.

 **Blaine:** Attached photo

 **Blaine:** What do you think?

 **Tina:** Damn! I told you. Do you have holes in the soles of your shoes now?

 **Blaine:** Yes, but it’s fine. I walked out with three new pairs, including a pair of heels. I’ll look hot if I can walk in those things without tripping down the stairs. 

**Tina:** If Ginger Rogers could dance in heels, surely you can manage a flight of stairs in them.

 **Blaine:** Point taken.

 **Blaine:** I’m going to turn in. I’m beat. Can we continue this conversation tomorrow?

 **Tina:** Sure. Night Blainey Days.

Blaine laid down his cell phone and began scrolling through his email messages. His face lit up immediately when he saw one from his favorite sender. 

**New Message from** Blue45801@daltonmail.com

 **Re:** Sorry this took so long

He opened the message and began reading with a massive smile on his face. 

_Dear Tony,_

_Alright, now that is a much more timely response. LOL. You have me wondering though if everything is ok. You said something came up. Are you all alright? Remember, this is a safe place. You can talk or vent if needed, I’ll always listen, figuratively, since I can’t hear you._

Blaine chuckled as he continued to read. 

_It sounds like old habits die hard. I’m going to tell you to go to bed now and you can reply tomorrow now that I know that you won’t ignore me this time. As for time management, it’s not a skill that comes easy for everybody, especially when you take too many things on. I want to teach you a very liberating word. Come on. Say it with me. Ready? NO. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. Ok, so it’s more difficult if you are a people pleaser, which you said you are. I get it, but once you realize that not everyone has to like you, it does get easier._

That advice hit Blaine in the jugular because it was one thing he was truly bad at doing. He hated letting anyone down. Worse, he hated confrontation. It was like the situation with Sebastian. He could’ve told him no if he had an ounce of courage at all. He sighed and scrolled down.

_This advice is coming from a guy that is hiding a large piece of who he is. I also have a small number of people I call friends. Honestly I think I prefer it that way. At one point, I was popular at my former school. Then, I pissed off the wrong jock. He made my life a living Hell. It was worse for another kid in our school. His name was Chester. Chester was the only out kid in our school. He knew about me. He had great gaydar. He tried to encourage me to come out. I refused. I saw what he went through daily. The jocks were the worst. They would push him into lockers, throw him in dumpsters, and throw slushies in his face. They hurled insults at him nonstop. I tried to stay out of it, but after they went too far, I couldn’t just stand by and watch anymore. I called the biggest perpetrator out, and then they started coming after me, saying I was only protecting him because I was queer like him. Then the death threats followed soon after that. So maybe I’m the wrong person to give you advice._

Death threats? Slushies thrown in students’ faces? This sounded brutal. Tina and Rachel both had shared accounts of being drenched with the cold, sticky liquid. It must be a cruel new way to torture misfits.

_Maybe my former school was in the minority because we had three female coaches and only one wasn’t batshit crazy. I will say that school was never boring._

Blaine shook his head. Boring was not an adjective he would use to describe his friend’s former school either. 

_I am an optimist as well. Yes, I am guarded, but I hate the idea of seeing the worst in everything and everyone. I do understand how it can get a person in trouble sometimes. My father says that I got that trait from my mother. I don’t want to go through life thinking everyone is going to screw me over. I haven’t always had the best luck with that. I’m hoping this time, at this school, things will be different. So far, so good._

_I would have been an amazing Tony. That’s ok. This way, I get to watch my friends in the audience and cheer for them. I plan on auditioning for the next production though. They won’t be able to turn me away this time._

Blaine grinned. He admired his friend’s spunk and passion. And even though he didn’t exactly know Blue’s identity, he probably would’ve made a great leading man from what he could tell from his personality and wit. 

_So, you are a Blainiac as well? LOL. I mean that affectionately. I can see why so many people like him. He’s a very enthusiastic and talented performer. I can tell he’s been doing it for a long time. You heard Blaine say he didn’t like all the solos? Could’ve fooled me, but I wouldn’t say no if I was offered one. I’m auditioning, and I might have a shot now that Blaine doesn’t want it._

A Blainiac? Is that what the other Warblers discuss behind his back? And Blue was going to audition for a solo? Blaine started thinking about who signed up during their meeting earlier that day; Sebastian, Andrew, Cameron, Jeff, and Kurt. Blaine raked his teeth over his bottom lip. He’d have to pay close attention during the auditions to try to catch any clues. 

_What was my old glee club like? That’s a very complex question. It was very different than the Warblers. Although the Warblers have some diversity, our club had every minority you could think of. Where the Warblers were held in high regard, our glee club was at the bottom of the totem pole. We were considered to be less popular than the chess team or the AV club if that tells you anything. I could tell you more, but then I’d have to kill you._

_Soul Brothers. Two people whose souls are moved by the same things, in this case, music. As for Ke$ha, she has some good songs. I like that song "Praying," especially when she hits that note that makes dogs cry._

_I would love to be in that studio to hear Freddy or Janis tell them to f*** off._

_I will begin typing up a proposal tonight about the Beatles tribute. Awesome is not the right adjective. Righteous. Perfection. Genius. Yes._

Blaine grinned. He’d support that proposal without a doubt. 

_It’s kind of hard to not get hung up on straight guys when they are the only guys you meet. I’m kind of hung up on a straight guy at Dalton too, and he’s also a Warbler. I bet if you thought hard enough, you could figure out to whom I’m referring. I might’ve brought him up a few times in our conversations._

Wait, Blue had a crush on a Warbler that he’s mentioned several times in their messages? But the only ones he’s mentioned by name were the council members and Blaine. He mentioned Blaine a lot. 

Holy crap! Blue has a crush on Blaine! And then it occurred to Blaine that **he** was Blaine. Blue liked him, or at least it was a possibility. Blaine sighed. How did this become even more complicated?

_I can honestly say I have never been grounded for taping my brother’s mouth shut, although we’ve only been brothers for less than a year, and I don’t live at home anymore. We honestly get along great now._

_So I have to know. Did you try mashing up those songs? Do they work? I should know the answer to that. There’s no way in hell that they will mesh together. It would’ve been cool though._

That was it. Blaine would have to try mashing the two songs together. 

_I heard Come Together was just about sex. I like your story better._

_Of course, I offered to talk to you if you can’t sleep. (We’ve been doing it already anyway.) I can’t get my mind to stop either. Last night, I kept trying to wrap my head around how we could make that mash-up happen. I blame you._

Blaine chuckled. 

_So I thought you were the cleverest pun writer I’ve ever spoken with until I looked up that joke and realized there was a whole other level to it. In the spirit of good fun, let’s finish it, shall we?_

_E-flat comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender says, "You're looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development." Sure enough, E-flat soon takes off his suit and everything else and is au natural. Eventually, C sobers up and realizes, in horror, that he's under a rest. C is brought to trial, found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of D.S. without Coda at an upscale correctional facility. : >D_

_Wow, that’s a long and specific list of qualities you named there. I think it’s interesting that my list is similar. My Prince Charming needs to be openly gay, smart, musically gifted, fashionable, kind-hearted, outgoing, and open-minded. Dammit! We both want Adam Lambert. I’ll fight you for him. I have to warn you. I know my way around some weapons. I will leave you to wonder about which ones I’m referring to._

Weapons? Which Warbler did he know that could handle weapons? Did Kurt know how to fight? He wasn’t in fencing or fight club. Maybe it wasn’t Kurt. Blaine sighed heavily.

_God, is it hot in here? Yes, it’s a safe place, but I guess it’s time to reveal to you that I have about as much sexual knowledge as a baby penguin. As far as experimentation goes, I am a teenage boy, and I am kind of dating a girl with a history of sleeping with almost every guy in the school. Most people have assumed that we have had sex. However, I bet the people that know me realize that I never would with her. Intimacy shouldn’t be taken lightly. Besides, every time I think about sex, my mind drifts back to a very awkward conversation I had with my dad after he found out I was dating Whitney. I think he was scared to death that I’d get her pregnant. She actually thought she was, but apparently, her parents told her babies come from storks and she saw one outside of her window. It was quite the scandal before that misunderstanding was resolved. One pregnancy scandal in our glee cub is enough._

One pregnancy scare? It made him glad he went to an all-boys school. 

_How will you get me riled up? Let’s count the ways. The easiest way is to say something stereotypical or Neanderthalish. It’s not a difficult task at all. I told you my friends say that I can be a bitch sometimes._

_I’m not a future politician, but let’s just say I have one in the family. That’s all I’m saying. I second the title, ‘What the Dickens?’. LOL!_

_You are correct in the assumption that I’m not a Sophomore or a Freshman either._

_From the way you have described your father thus far, I don’t think that he would do that. Maybe there is more to the story between him and your brother. Ask him._

_Removing the cover. Genius. I’ve honestly done the same but with Popular Mechanics instead of ESPN. Everyone knows I don’t read about sports. It’d be a dead giveaway._

Popular Mechanics. Wait. Wasn’t that the magazine Kurt had dropped in front of Blaine a few days ago? Blaine had never actually opened the magazine. Or was Blaine just clinging to the hope that Blue and his crush were one and the same. 

_You’ve done Elton John? Where was I? I’d love to do a solo by him. Rocketman maybe, as an homage to the new movie? As for Katy, I’m more of a Gaga fan. And I have to admit that I never heard the Peacock song until after I read this message, and now I regret looking that video up on Youtube. Can you get more obvious that you’re singing about a man’s twinkle tube? Then again, I know Gaga is guilty of the same thing._

_Thank you for respecting my opinion on football. If we ever hung out and you wanted to watch a game, I would sit there and pretend to watch it with you while I secretly read Vogue._

_I wouldn’t want anyone stealing that moment from me either. The guy I told you about (that was suspended for threatening me) was outed. He tried to hang himself. I felt partly responsible. I didn’t out him, but after that situation with Chester, I talked to the principal and he was expelled. Although I know it wasn’t my fault, I still feel a lot of guilt._

_You aren’t a coward. Neither of us are. We are doing what we must to survive in our current world. That’s not cowardly. That’s self-preservation._

_Damn it. Use my classiness against me. I want to know who it is. Boo!_

_I gave you a second chance because I couldn’t stand not talking to you either. You’ve become a good friend in such a short time. Stop typing like a spastic. You’ll give yourself carpal tunnel._

_Sincerely,_

_Blue_

_P.S. If I don’t reply in a timely manner, I’m not ignoring you. I won’t be home tonight. I’m about to partake in my favorite pastimes, shopping and makeovers. That’s my definition of heaven. Good night._

Blaine grinned as he hit the compose icon. 

**Dear Blue,**

**No need to worry. I’m fine, and things are ok now. You know when something unexpected pops up, and it can be a real thorn in your side. It turned out that I can remove the thorn with a little bit of digging. As for this being a safe place, I don’t ever feel as safe and comfortable as I do when I read our messages. I feel like I can completely be myself without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. I feel like you listen to me better than the people who can actually hear my voice.**

**I’m not even going to make excuses for why I am up so late this time. As for saying no, I went out recently with a friend has no problem being assertive. I admire that because I can’t say what I think without a major internal battle. I’ll have to get him to tell me where he gets his gumption. I wear my heart on my sleeve, which often gets me into trouble because I make the mistake of thinking that everyone cares as much as I do.**

**I felt myself shaking after I read the description of all of the things those bullies did to you and your friend. I have a couple of friends who have endured bullying by the popular kids. They’ve reported it but nothing ever happens. I’m fortunate that I have been able to spend my high school years at Dalton, so I haven’t experienced anything that bad. I am aware that the real world can be a cruel place. I’m glad that your parents decided to send you here to Dalton. You deserve to feel safe. Besides, if you hadn’t transferred here, we would’ve never met.**

**I had a female coach once. She was probably the best coach I ever had. Does it count that she was my vocal coach?**

**I believe that the majority of people are born to be hopeful and optimistic. Unfortunately, I think people become pessimists after they have been hurt by someone or endured trauma at a young age. (My mother is a therapist. Can you tell?) If you spend a lot of time around children, you see this innocence and wonder that many adults have lost somewhere along the way. It’s really sad. You telling me that you were a target at your former school gives me the impression that someone sees a fire in you that they will never possess. Don’t let them steal it from you. It’s a gift that too many are unable to hold on to.**

**I bet you would have been an amazing Tony. I do think you should sign up for the next production. I heard a rumor that the next show may be Wicked. The lady in charge of it was an extra in Wicked and she’s been trying to bring it here ever since. One of the girls in our troupe has already called the role of Elphaba. It’s going to be a real vocal battle because I know a few other girls that are going to make her fight for it. Honestly, she will probably get a lead role. She is playing Maria in West Side Story. I’d say she’s very talented, but she’s said it enough that I don’t have to.**

**A Blainiac? Do people actually call themselves that? I’m so glad that you will be auditioning for that available solo. Break a leg.**

**And I thought that the Warblers are a colorful mix. Your friends sound wonderful.**

**I too would love to be in the room to hear Janis or Freddy tell their studio executives what they can do with themselves for trying to use autotune on their voices. . It would be epic.**

**You’re crushing on a Warbler? I know the feeling. I hope it isn’t David. He’s painfully straight.**

**I did play around with the melodies of some Beatles songs, but I’m not sure if those two particular songs will work. A medley maybe? Hmmmmmm. I refuse to take the blame for your insomnia though because it was YOU that suggested the mashup in the first place.**

**I love the minor joke. Speaking of minors, what do you think about someone underage going to a gay bar? I thought about checking one out. Would you ever do that? I don’t know. I guess I’m just looking for a place where I could be myself.**

**Are you trying to insinuate that I wouldn’t be a worthy opponent? Dalton fight club is not just a myth. I’d tell you about it, but I’d be breaking rule number one and two so here’s me not talking about it. I won’t give my Adam up without a fight. I own some pretty wicked boots. Don’t make me scuff them up.**

**Hi there, baby penguin. I guess if you’re a baby penguin, I’d be a puppy. I hope that ‘the talk’ you had with your father was less embarrassing than the one I had with mine. I asked my brother about sex, and he responded by giving me a half-empty box of assorted condoms and he wrote down his favorite porn sites. A few of them were quite informative because they had gay porn too. Unfortunately, I forgot to clear my browsing history and my father found a “video” when he asked to use my laptop. The conversation that followed was mortifying. I haven’t been back to any sites like that since. I’ve been too traumatized.**

**The stork story? I didn’t think anybody told that story to their children anymore. Poor girl. Wait? Did you say another pregnancy scare? Since all the students here at Dalton are boys, we don’t usually have those scandals, although there have been a few guys that have become fathers before they graduated here at Dalton as well.**

**Neanderthalish? Is that a word? Me not sure. How about I start a campaign for the Warblers to sing a mashup of Peacock/Disco Stick? Then, I’ll make a proposal to the librarian to replace all of the classics with the entire series of Captain Underpants. Riled up yet?**

**That settles it. We are now co-writing a musical together. You are going to write the actual play, and I’m going to start composing songs for the Musical,** **What the Dickens?** **as soon as I figure out this Beatles/Queen medley. It will be Epic.**

**As for my father, you are probably right. I’m just too scared to risk it. I think he would try to accept it. I’m just afraid that he’ll treat me differently once he discovers the truth.**

**Popular Mechanics? So you are a car guy? I wish I was. My parents gave me a car for my sixteenth birthday. My dad talked about fixing up an old Chevy for a while, but he never actually did it. Basically, I’d be a terrible companion for a road trip. I can use my GPS and pump gas, but if something messed up under the hood, we’d be waiting for roadside assistance.**

**Elton John is another legend. I told you I love playing the piano. I especially enjoy playing ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ and ‘Tiny Dancer’. Riff is going to kill me tonight because I will probably be up at 5 AM playing a medley of Katy, Gaga, and Elton John songs interspersed with some Queen and the Beatles.**

**Do you call it a twinkle tube? Good thing this relationship between us will only ever be platonic, because if a guy asked me to show him my ‘twinkle tube,’ I think I’d laugh in his face. Of course, having someone asking to ride my disco stick or see my ‘peacock’ would probably yield the same results.**

**Nope. If we watched a football game together, we’d watch the game and then we’d read Vogue together afterward. That way, we could have a genuine conversation about both.**

**As for that guy at your school who tried to hang himself? Repeat after me: It wasn’t my fault. You were trying to protect yourself and your friend. I have my share of things I feel guilty about. We all do. Guilt sucks. But it sounds to me like you did what you could to stay safe. Didn’t you call that self-preservation?**

**Thank you for giving me permission to type like a normal person. My fingers were killing me, and some guy doesn’t know how to write brief replies.**

**Sincerely,**

**Tony**

**P.S. I’m glad someone likes shopping. I used to hate it, but I enjoyed it the last time I went. I visited stores that I never knew existed, and I have some clothes that don’t have the Dalton insignia on it.**

Blaine closed his laptop and put it on the nightstand. He was asleep moments after his head hit the pillow. 

_____________________________________________________________________

“Blaine, are you alright in there? You’ve been in there for over an hour. Do you feel ill?” Nick called toward the bathroom.

“I’ll be right out. Sorry man,” Blaine yelled back through the door. “Just one more second.” Blaine opened the door and checked his hair in the mirror. He adjusted the collar on his tight, black polo shirt and adjusted the belt once more around the waist of his mustard-colored pants. 

“Damn, Blaine. I feel like I can say this since we both admitted we find guys attractive, but you look hot!” Nick said followed by a wolf whistle. “Do a little turn.” He ran his fingers over his friend’s white jacket. “Don’t tell me this is part of the West Side Story wardrobe?”

“Uh, no. I did have practice tonight, but I had my understudy fill in for me.”

“Oh my God. Do you have a date? With a girl or a guy?”

“A guy. A friend. Well, not actually a friend, but a classmate, I mean, you know him, but it’s not a big deal. I don’t really want to go, but I kinda said I would, and so now, I can’t back out,” Blaine rambled. 

“You never skip out on a practice. You didn’t gel, and you’re wearing a belt. Not to mention the whole thing in Warbler’s practice yesterday with you giving up one of your solos. Blaine, what the hell is going on? And who are you going out with tonight?” Nick said, staring directly at his roommate. 

Blaine dropped his eyes down the carpet and stared at it so hard that he could’ve bored a hole into it. “Bass chin,” he mumbled

“Huh? Blaine. That somewhat resembles something a six-month-old would say. Who?” Nick said, leaning in giving Blaine a hard stare.

“Sebastian?”

“That cretin? Why in God’s name would you ever go out with him, especially after what he said about us being-?” Nick stopped. “Wait, he knows? About you or both of us?” Nick blurted.

“Me. He found my emails to Blue, and he told me that if I didn’t give up one of my solos to him and go out to Scandals with him, he would post my emails with Blue on Dalton Underground.”

“That’s blackmail! Blaine, you need to go to the headmaster.”

Blaine shook his head no. “And say what? I’m being blackmailed because I’m gay? The first thing they’d do is call my parents. You know that my dad and Mr. Phillips belong to the same country club.”

Nick sighed. “What about the council? They already know something is up. You’ve never given up a solo before, especially not this close to a competition.”

Blaine shook his head again. “I can’t. I’m not ready to be out yet, and with all the information in our messages, it’s not too hard to deduce that it’s me. Blue hasn’t put it together, but he’s new here. But Wes would figure it out in a heartbeat. I can’t risk it. I just have to go a few times.”

“A few times? And to Scandals! Isn’t that a gay club? Why would he want you to go with him to a gay- Holy shit! Sebastian’s gay!”

“Well, well. Isn’t this a case of the pot calling the kettle black, since you aren’t necessarily straight either,” Sebastian snarked as he stood in the doorway. “Have you told him yet, your golden-haired boy toy?”

“Told him what? That you’re an absolute jerk? Yep. I tell him that daily.”

“That you’re so in love with him it makes me want to puke rainbows.”

“Funny, seeing you makes me want to puke too. What makes you think you have the right to take advantage of Blaine?”

“Take advantage? Oh please! Even you said he looked hot. And he does. Damn! Turn around and let me see ‘dat ass.’”

“No one has to turn around to see an ass since you are standing right in front of us,” Nick retorted. “Why are you here, in our room?” 

“Fetching my partner in crime for tonight. Are you jealous?” Sebastian asked, leaning against the door frame.

“More like sympathetic,” Nick replied. “Blaine, I’m heading out. I told Jeff I’d be by later to help him with his trig homework. Are you going to be back late?”

“You his daddy, Duval?” Sebastian sneered. “I didn’t think he had that particular kink. Although, if you’re into exploring that territory, we can do that instead.” Sebastian said with a flirty wink. 

“Go to Hell,” Blaine replied, his eyes flashing with anger and irritation. 

“Only if you come with me, baby,” Sebastian smirked. “Scandals isn’t that far off on the wrong night. I went on Dyke Night once, and I threw up twice before I could get out of there. Anyway, this will be a beneficial learning experience for you. How else will you learn if you like to be the quarterback or wide receiver, if you know what I mean? Although, I peg you as a bottom, judging by that outfit.”

Blaine cocked his head sideways. “Wasn’t it you that said you weren’t into labels?”

“Hey, I’m not, but it gets uncomfortable fast if you’re exclusively a top or bottom and you try to hook up with someone with the same preferences as you. Trust me.”

“I don’t,” Blaine grumbled. “Why are you even here? I was supposed to meet you in your dorm.”

“I wanted to make sure that you measured up to my standards before we left. Although this look may be too good. I don’t want my potential hookups to flock to you instead of me. Is that eyeliner?”

“Just a smidge. Kurt thought it’d make my eyes pop,” Blaine replied with a fond smile as he remembered Kurt applying the makeup around his eyelids, the faint brush of his fingertips skimming over his face as he giggled from the tickle of it all. 

“They’ll make eyes pop alright. Hell, it’ll make something else pop too if you catch my drift,” Sebastian said, licking the corner of his mouth. 

“Ew,” Nick blurted, rolling his eyes. “Later man. Call me if you need anything, like an escape plan or an alibi. Anything.”

“Don’t wait up, Flex.”

“Flex?” Blaine asked.

“You know, bends both ways,” Sebastian cackled. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“That’s gotta be the shortest list ever. Things you wouldn’t do,” Nick retorted, closing the door behind him.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Ready, Killer?” 

“Ready as I’ll ever be?”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Another Shirley Temple, cutie?’ the bartender asked him with a flirty wink. 

Blaine shook his head no as he rubbed his temples. “No thank you.” His eyes drifted past Sebastian dancing with an older guy to the drab walls when he caught the eyes of someone familiar, although he didn’t know where he’d seen them before. He looked back at Sebastian, who was now grinding up against a skinny college kid, but his eyes once again drifted toward the familiar stranger whose eyes were now staring back at him.

Damn. He was caught. And now the man with those haunting eyes started walking closer and closer until he approached Blaine’s dark corner table. 

“Tony?


	8. Blue's Clues

**Chapter 8**

Blaine jerked as if he had been slapped. “Do I know you?”

“You’re Tony in West Side Story, right? From the community theater?”the handsome stranger questioned.

“Oh, yes. I play Tony. Are you on the stage crew or something? You look familiar.”

“Damn! That’s the reason you were staring then. I thought maybe I caught your fancy,” the man pouted. He motioned the bartender over to their table. “I’d like a Sex on the Beach,” he said, winking at Blaine. 

“And this cutie’s cocktail?” the waiter asked.

“Just another Shirley Temple. I’m the designated driver,” Blaine blurted as the waiter wrote the order on his notepad and hurried off. “So, what do you do at the theater?”

“I play the violin in the orchestra. I’m Eli,” he said, extending his hand out toward Blaine. 

“Blaine,” Blaine said, shaking his hand. “I love the violin. It has such a beautiful tone.”

“Thanks. It was a compromise. I wanted to learn the guitar, but most orchestras don’t write pieces for the instrument. So I picked the next best thing. I play the guitar too,” Eli said.

“Oh, so do I. I prefer the piano though. The guitar strings are rougher on my fingers.”

“Yeah, calluses suck. Although some men have commented that they like my strong, nimble fingers,” Eli said with a wink.

Blaine blushed and bit his lip. “Yeah, um. I guess those might come in handy.”

Eli laughed. “Handy. I get it. Wanna find out for yourself? Security is kinda lax in here if you know what I mean. They have extra-wide stalls.”

“Wait, what?” Blaine looked puzzled. “You want to play the guitar in the stalls?”

Eli chuckled. “Let me guess. This is your first time here, right?”

Blaine nodded. “I’m just here with my friend.”

“You are gay, right?” Eli asked. 

Blaine nodded. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

“Well, in that case, do you wanna dance? We don’t have to. I’m happy to stay in this isolated corner as long as we continue to talk. Your boyfriend won’t mind, will he?”

Blaine shook his head. “Boyfriend? Him? Hell no! We’re just friends.” He said, motioning toward Sebastian on the floor, his tongue down some guy’s throat. 

“Oh, Thank God. I just saw you dancing with him earlier. I’m relieved that you two aren’t romantically involved.” 

“And that would be because?” Blaine asked. 

“Been there, done that,” he laughed. “And if you’re gonna go there, you might need to pull out the tweezers. Smallest dick I’ve ever seen,” Eli laughed. “So that dance?”

Blaine laughed. “Sure, why not,’ he said as he allowed Eli to take his hand and lead him to the dance floor. 

* * *

It was eleven P.M. when he finally dragged Sebastian out of that club, and he was wasted. Blaine had one beer, and he had to admit that it loosened him up enough to enjoy himself. He even got a few numbers, including Eli’s. 

Eli was nice, but a little more forward than anyone he’d want to date. It didn’t help his case that he said he slept with Sebastian, who had sex not once but twice in the bathroom that night. Blaine was a romantic, and he didn’t want a rushed encounter in a stall that meant nothing. Maybe Sebastian was right about him being a ‘strings’ kind of guy, but he was ok with that. 

He sunk into his desk chair to check his email before he crashed. He skimmed through the typical Warbler reminders. Only one of them was something new. It was from Wes asking if he had sent a proposal to him anonymously. Blaine smiled with pride as he read about the idea. It immediately made him think of Blue. He scrolled past the rest of his emails in disappointment until he saw it. 

It was a message from Blue.

_Dear Tony,_

_I’m glad that you are well. I’m delighted that you feel safe talking to me. It’s mutual. Reading your messages is the best part of my day. I want you to be yourself. That does sound a little strange though when I think of the fact that I don’t know your actual name. Although my curiosity is getting the better of me. Mathematically, I don’t think it would be that difficult to deduce who you are. You aren’t on the council, but you are an upperclassman. There are only twenty-four Warblers, and a third are Sophomores and Freshmen. But I won’t. I was the one that suggested that we stay anonymous._

Did Blue regret asking them to remain anonymous? Blaine knew that he certainly would love to know who he was speaking to. Should he ask? He continued reading. 

_I would rather converse with someone that was too kind than someone that was a jerk. I don’t believe there’s a problem with a person caring too much and showing compassion towards others. I think the problem occurs when someone doesn’t have enough empathy for others. Some people don’t care enough about anyone else but themselves. That, my friend, is the real problem._

Once again, Blaine felt as if he could’ve written the words on the screen in front of him. Blue was just like him, striving to treat people the way he wanted to be treated as opposed to treating them how they treat you. Blaine was called naive and too trusting by some of his friends, but in his mind, it was better than being callous and uncaring. 

_Everyone deserves to feel safe. I think what bothers me the most is the silence of people that I thought were my friends. Chester thought they were his friends too. Then, I saw what the jocks were doing to him. I saw him in the locker room, covered in bruises. I started walking with him so he didn’t have to walk the halls alone. That’s when the locker slams started happening to me too. Our friends saw it happen on more than one occasion. Finally, Whitney talked the girls into getting their boyfriends to confront the jocks that were doing it. We thought that was the end of it until homecoming. Chandler was voted Sophomore princess. He decided to accept the crown. When he stepped up there, he was egged. I tried to stop it, and I called the jocks that did it cowards. After that, he and his parents moved. I continued to speak up about it, even starting a petition to get them suspended for what they did. Then the main perpetrators came after me. My dad wasn’t going to take any chances even though the glee club offered to walk me to and from my classes. I didn’t want to have to walk the halls in fear anymore._

Blaine brushed at the wetness on his cheek where a tear had slid down. Blaine cocked his head sideways and reread the paragraph. Blue called his friend two different names, Chester and Chandler. Was it a typo? Could it have been autocorrected? Or was Chandler his friend’s real name? If it was, should he say anything to Blue about it? 

Blaine started to read the next paragraph, but stopped suddenly, his eyes shifting back up to the former paragraph. A guy was named Prom Princess? It sounded familiar. It took him a second, but he finally remembered that Tina told him about Prom at McKinley. The same situation happened there with one of the glee boys being named to the court. Wait? Was Blue’s former school McKinley?

_I get the feeling that your parents are wealthy. You’ve always gone to private school and you’ve had a vocal coach? My parents aren’t struggling, but the tuition at Dalton is a bit of a stretch for them. They gave up the money they saved for their honeymoon, and my dad dipped into his savings to send me to Dalton. It’s a source of guilt, but dad says he is glad he sent me. My former school didn’t challenge me academically, and the people are so much kinder._

_My former glee club director has taught us a lot of stuff but he hasn’t been formally trained. However, my friend, Maria, has two dads that were both on Broadway. They’ve taught me more than my former glee club teacher._

Two gay dads who were former Broadway stars? Blue had just all but confirmed that Maria was Rachel Berry. She went to McKinley with Tina. Blue was talking about the New Directions. He had to be. Blaine grinned. Blue used to go to McKinley.

 _Your mom is a therapist? Surprise, surprise. I’m not surprised in the least. You sound like a fortune cookie sometimes. Don’t stop doing it. I love it. That’s a beautiful way to see it._

_WICKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is my favorite Broadway show. I’m a huge fan of Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. They are both incredible. I’m going to those auditions come hell or high water. Nope. I’m not telling you which role I’m auditioning for._

Blue loved Wicked. He not only knew about the play, but he knew the original stars. He was a Broadway fan, just like himself. 

_Ok, so maybe I haven’t heard anyone else but myself call anyone that. And when I say anyone else, I mean me. So did you figure out my crush? I was fine until he sang Teenage Dream. So, what did you think about the auditions today? I have some stiff competition._

Blaine jerked his head up. Blue revealed his crush, and it was none other than himself. This just got fifteen times more complicated. 

_OMG! You're talking about Rachel Berry, right? Oh my God, I forgot that she was the lead in the play at Westerville’s community theater. The Glee club didn’t get to put on a musical this year, and she said it would be a waste to not share her talent. Plus, she said she needed roles to put on her college applications since she is applying for all of the big-name performance arts schools. She’ll be a really good Maria. Now you know the reason I picked that name for her._

Blaine thought back to Tina explaining the reason that she and Mike had also decided to audition for the community theater production of Westside Story. The glee club at McKinley didn’t have the money to put on a musical. 

_Nope, I’m not crushing on David. See above. I kind of blurted it out already. As I said, he’s painfully straight._

So Blue _was_ crushing on him, but he thought Blaine was straight. That meant Blue would probably not give him any clues when they were around each other. Blue had no idea that he was speaking to Blaine. What if he found out? Would he be embarrassed? Would he be angry? This was a mess. He kept on reading. 

_You got me. I did suggest the mashup, and so it’s only fair that I try to come up with an arrangement. I started listening to Beatles songs, and then I started noticing how they could all be put together in a medley. I’m sending a companion email that has the sheet music for what I’ve already put together. You’ll have to try to imagine it with the harmonies. This is what the Warblers should be doing for Regionals._

_A gay bar? Hmmmmm. I don’t think I’d be comfortable enough for that anytime soon. I don’t think it would be my scene. It just seems too risky. My one experience with alcohol turned out horribly, and so I think I’d be sipping Shirley Temples all night and warming a bar stool covering my face with a hat. Maybe one day I’ll be comfortable enough with myself to take the plunge. You must tell me what your experience was like, though. I can live vicariously through you—that is, if you decide to go._

_Wait, are you saying the Dalton Fight Club isn’t just a myth? I must know where this all goes down. As for Adam, it’s not worth scuffing up a new pair of boots. Let’s just lust over him together._

_Oh my God, and I thought my sex talk was mortifying! I’m sorry, friend. I’m curious as to what sites your brother recommended. No, this is not me asking for the addresses. I’ve tried watching those kinds of movies, and all I could think is all these people have mothers and who would put that tattoo there. I didn’t make it through five minutes before I slammed the laptop closed._

_Now I’m picturing a golden retriever puppy in a Warbler jacket. Does it get any cuter than that?_

_I’ve heard that a few Dalton boys have had pregnancy scares as well. I remember the rumors and gossip going around when Whitney thought she was pregnant. I told my dad that there was no way I could’ve gotten her pregnant because we had never had sex. He looked relieved. Last year, my stepbrother believed that he had gotten a girl pregnant even though they had never had sex either. It turns out, she slept with his best friend. It was quite the scandal._

A pregnancy scandal at McKinley last year? Tina would remember that. He remembered his friend telling him all about the quarterback and his popular cheerleader girlfriend that ended up getting pregnant. A cheerleader. Kurt used to be a cheerleader. His former girlfriend was a cheerleader too. Was Kurt’s former school McKinley? If it was, then Kurt had to be Blue.

_It takes more to rile me up than that. I did get riled up today. Could you believe that Sebastian walked into Warbler practice acting all pissy and hungover, demanding that the solo just be given to him? I’ll die if he gets it. What respectable guy auditions with “Do You Think I'm Sexy?” Um, no one. I upchucked for five straight minutes after that sickening display._

_I’m sure someone somewhere might find him attractive if you’re attracted to giant horse teeth and a rodent face. I had a fleeting thought that you could be Sebastian, but then it passed. There’s no way in hell he is you because you are compassionate, articulate, witty, and intelligent. Sebastian is none of those things._

Blaine laughed so hard his belly hurt. Blue couldn’t stand Sebastian. He completely understood that feeling. He didn’t like Sebastian either, especially now. Most of the Warblers couldn’t stand him, and yet, part of their deal was that Sebastian got a solo for Regionals. Even though he didn't deserve it. Several of the other Warblers outperformed him, especially Kurt, with his rich tone and his emotional delivery. The fact that he performed a rendition of Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever” kept making Blaine see the beautiful countertenor’s face as he read Blue’s current email. 

_I started writing the first act of our play today. It’s hilarious. You better start composing now. I expect a masterpiece._

Wait! Blue was serious? He was writing a musical about Charles Dickens. Oh, God! He had better start composing. He didn’t want to let Blue down. 

_I’ve made a decision. This weekend, I’m going on a small road trip with my father. I’m going to tell him. I can’t stand hiding it from him any longer. I think he suspected it anyway, ever since the rumors after the incident with Chester. Wish me luck._

Blue was going to come out. He was going to tell his father. This was a big step. He said a little prayer that Blue’s father would accept him and his sexuality. 

_I shock everyone when they find out I can do an oil change because I don’t have the typical dirty, rugged hands that mechanics normally have. Just because I can do it, doesn’t mean it’s a passion of mine. It also doesn’t mean I have to be covered in grease. Hello, that oil and grime are horrible for your skin. They make coveralls and gloves for a reason. My father doesn’t always wear them. I lecture him about what it does to the appearance of his skin, and he just shrugs and says it’ll come off in the shower. Sigh!_

Blaine smiled because he had the same mentality as Blue’s father. His own skincare routine consisted of a loofa and some Noxzema. 

_I love looking at the design of cars, especially the classics. My father and I will sometimes go to a car show if there is one nearby. He’s interested in what’s under the hood, and I’m interested in the interior and the paint job. We both have a good time. I call it a win-win._

_I have got to hear that medley. Pink, Gaga, Elton John, Queen, the Beatles. I’m parking myself at your piano._

Blue could join him at his piano any day he wanted. Although it might be highly distracting. He wouldn’t get much composing done. Oddly, that didn’t seem to be such a problem in his mind right now. Blaine took a swig of water from the bottle on his desk. 

_No, I do not call it a twinkle tube. I’m mortified that I typed that. In my defense, I find most of the terms for it to be crude and unclassy. But then again, the word penis is just as embarrassing. What do you call yours?_

Blaine spat the water he had just put in his mouth on the screen. Did Blue just ask what word he used for penis? He wiped off the water with a Kleenex. 

_Hmmmmm. I might have to take you up on the offer to watch the game and then read Vogue together. That sounds like an enjoyable, domestic evening._

Blaine closed his eyes and pictured sitting with another guy, him holding an issue of Vogue with Blaine snuggled up behind him with his head resting over his shoulder and his chest pressed into his boyfriend’s back. Blaine almost choked again. His boyfriend? A man that was faceless in his current fantasy, although his skin tone and build looked oddly like Kurt Hummel. Oh God! What if Blue really was Kurt?

But, what if he wasn’t? Blaine knew that he was falling for this mysterious guy that he chatted with daily. He also was completely aware that he had a major crush on Kurt. What if Blue was someone else? There was still a possibility that Blue was Andrew or Cameron. Blaine realized that he had been taking a lot of his free time (not that he had much) trying to get to know Kurt better in case he was Blue. But in the process, he had neglected to get to know the other two candidates. How could he remedy this?

_It wasn’t my fault. Deep down, I know it wasn’t. It was those ignorant jocks. And yet, I still feel guilty in the pit of my stomach. Honestly, I miss my friend. As for the self-preservation remark, damn you for using my words against me once again._

Blaine’s heart was pained as he read those words. He understood guilt well, and he hated that his friend had to live with that. 

_I could totally write a short message if I wanted to. Is this your way of asking for that? Careful what you wish for ‘cause you just might get it. Oh God, I just quoted a Pussycat Dolls song. What in the hell is wrong with me? Oh God, please don’t answer that. I don’t want to know._

_Sincerely,_

_Blue_

_P._ _S. I often get booted out of stores as well. I honestly prefer the smaller stores in the mall. I don’t always shop at the big name stores because I want my clothes to make a unique statement. I don’t want to look like everyone else. But then, I get into the uniform and I look like every other guy at my school. Sigh!_

This last statement sounded familiar. It reminded him of what Kurt said about having to wear the uniform. How could Blue be anyone else but Kurt? 

Blaine immediately started typing a response as he yawned heavily. 

**Dear Blue,**

**Your messages are the best part of my day too. I often find myself looking at the group photo of the Warblers and trying to deduce which one you are. There are times I think I know. There are times I think you purposefully give me clues so that I can figure it out on my own. And then, I read sentences about keeping our anonymity. I will respect that. My brain, on the other hand, is defiant and is still making guesses as I type this. I hope you are ok with that. He has a mind of his own. Haha. Get it? My brain has a mind of his own. God, it’s late, and I sound like an idiot. Yes, this is me deflecting and changing the subject.**

**Lack of compassion and empathy is the real problem. Unfortunately, it is not considered masculine for a man to show those emotions, or any emotions other than anger when someone pisses him off. I mean, we’ve both seen those action flicks, and everyone cheers when the bad guy gets blown away. We both play sports. You know what the coaches are like. Hell, I even admitted that I was in fight club. We are taught to show no mercy. I’m not a very good student. I’m the guy checking on the other guy afterward to make sure he’s ok. In all honesty, there’s very little fighting that happens in fight club. It’s more like professional wrestling, lots of trash talk and very little fighting. I’m not even sure why we still do it.**

**Oh my God! I’m so sorry that you went through all of that. I’m sorry for Chester too. I know the pain of losing a close friend. I’m proud of you for standing up for him, but what makes me furious is that you should have had support. Where were the teachers? Surely, there were chaperones at this dance. Did they do a damn thing? I bet I already know the answer to that. I’m glad that your father treated it with the seriousness that the situation deserved. I too have been bullied before. It was in middle school because of my small stature. It wasn’t as severe as what you and your friend endured, but after I sprained my ankle in a pair of shoes that had massive heels, my parents made me fess up to what was happening. I started going to Dalton in my freshman year. I still get teased about my height.**

**My parents aren’t rich, but my mother is from money. Yes, I even have a small trust fund, but I can’t touch it right now. It’s all put aside for my future. I did tell you that I plan on applying to some Ivy League schools, and that is what the money is reserved for if I do get accepted. My father and my grandfather are both alumni of Ivy League schools (different ones) and I think I have told you once before that my father expects me to attend one as well. Of course, most of the Ivy leaguers aren’t known for their Performing Arts programs. I don’t think my father considers Juilliard and NYADA Ivy League. The tuition at Dalton is a little steep, and I’m sorry it has been a struggle for you. There is a scholarship program available. They have scholarships available for academics, athletics, and artistry. I know you would qualify for at least one if not all three. You should look into it.**

**Hey, I’d rather sound like a fortune cookie than a pessimist.**

**Yes, Idina and Kristen are both amazing. Would you be jealous if I told you I got to see the actual show? By that time, Idina and Kristen had both moved on to other projects. Hey, do you know who else used to be in Wicked? That's right. Adam Lambert. Although, I think he was just an understudy. Could you imagine having to beat out Adam Lambert for a role?**

**You are such a Blainiac. Now, you have had someone else call you that. It’s an official thing now.**

**The auditions were amazing, most of them anyway. I cannot elaborate. I can, but I won’t. As for the sheet music you sent me, it would be absolutely amazing. I can just hear the harmonies ‘come together’ in my head (get it? Come Together. :^D) We’ve got to find a way for the Warblers to do this. It’d be incredible.**

**I am talking about Rachel Berry. That means that you went to McKinley High, right? You were in New Directions. You are going up against your old Glee Club. I didn’t know we had a member of the Warblers that was a former member of New Directions. Why didn’t you say anything when you auditioned? Maria was a good name for her. She is great in the play.**

**I did visit that bar, and you know what I found? It isn’t my scene either. By the end of the night, my feet hurt, I had a full bladder, and my retinas are now permanently scarred from seeing way too much action ‘going down’ if you know what I mean. I could never imagine doing something so private in such a public place, although I was propositioned multiple times. Do I give off the vibe that says bend me over a dirty bathroom sink where I will be facing an unflushed urinal so I can contract every sexually transmitted disease known to man? Hell no!**

**See the above comments about the Dalton Fight Club. This is me not talking about it. I’m all for lusting over Adam together. Have you heard his new album yet? I may be guilty of putting the song “New Eyes” on a continuous loop. My roommate bought me a new pair of wireless headphones, but then he yanked them off of me. Apparently, I still sing along, and it’s loud and shrieky. Yesterday, he came home with a muzzle. I’m worried.**

**There’s nothing wrong with being a baby penguin. I told you how I reacted when someone invited me to the bathroom in that club. It was bad enough that I walked in on two guys going at it when I went to pee. It was mortifying. I didn’t go back in there the rest of the night even though my bladder felt like it was about to burst.**

**A golden retriever puppy? No, it doesn’t get any cuter than that. Now, I want to go to adopt a golden retriever and get a custom Warbler’s blazer just for him. I don’t think my pet bird would like that very much.**

**Yes, there have been several Dalton boys that have had pregnancy scares. My brother had one when he attended several years back. My parents were pissed. That was one reason I ended up getting the sex talk. Wait. Your brother thought he got his girlfriend pregnant when they hadn’t had sex? How did she convince him of that?**

**So you aren’t a fan of Sebastian Smythe? I’m devastated. What if I was him? What if I was his best friend? Ok, ok. I can’t even continue typing right now because I’m laughing so hard. Horse teeth? Rodent face? Burn! You and one of my best friends would get along well. He has no problem telling Sebastian what he thinks of him. I, on the other hand, have a problem keeping my coffee in my mouth when he does. You probably know who he is. My friend wasn’t necessarily quiet with his critique of Sebastian’s Rod Stewart impression. I don’t think the council was impressed either.**

**A masterpiece? Who do you think I am? Andrew Loyd Webber? I hate to disappoint you, but when I started coming up with titles, all I was able to come up with is “Scrooge is a Dick.” After seeing what you came up with on the Beatles Medley, maybe I should leave the writing to you.**

**You’re going to tell your father. I’m so proud of you! Wow! I hope it all goes well. I know it will. But if it doesn’t, I’ll be right here.**

**Um, I share your father’s opinion on skincare. Then again, I don’t have a lot of situations where my skin comes in contact with oil and grease, just sweat. I enjoy a good car show too if there are classics. I’m not interested in seeing things I could see in the parking lot at Dalton, although the parking lot Dalton could be a car lot. Did you see some of the vehicles those boys drive? Hey, don’t make judgy eyes at me. I drive a Toyota.**

**Damn! Do you think I live on my piano bench? I have to write an entire score to a Charles Dickens Musical and now I’m adding a medley in there with Pink and Elton John. Do you want me to get expelled or get my hands duct-taped together by my sleep-deprived roommate? He might do it. I told you about the muzzle. That wasn’t a joke.**

**Nope, I’m not answering that question because you didn’t tell me what you called yours. ;^D. I’m guessing you call it your gear shifter or your dipstick. Am I right? Those were the only car euphemisms I know.**

**That does sound like an enjoyable evening if it’s a team I enjoy. Go Buckeyes!**

**I’m sorry you feel guilty, but you did nothing wrong. You have the right to feel safe. Enough on that topic.**

**Oh God no, please don’t stop writing these long messages. If you do, I’ll flood your inbox with fifty short messages. Don’t tempt me. I will do it. Did you just diss the Pussycat Dolls? You just pushed my ‘Buttons.”**

**Sincerely,**

**Tony**

**P.S. You aren’t the only one that dislikes the Warbler blazer, although you may not want to voice that in Warbler practice. Some of those guys get mighty defensive about the jackets in particular. I remember I once suggested we wear a red blazer with blue piping, and all hell broke loose. Wes was so perturbed, he almost threw the gavel.**

Blaine chuckled and hit send. He printed off the sheet music that Blue sent him and immediately sat down at his keyboard and started to play. 

* * *

“Dude, wake up,” Blaine heard his roommate shout as he groaned and rubbed his eyes. “You’re going to be late, and you don’t need another tardy. Those things accumulate. You didn’t even change out of your fancy-schmancy party clothes last night.”

“My alarm hasn’t even gone off yet,” Blaine whined, pulling the duvet back over his cold feet.

“No, it hasn’t, because we need to talk. You went out with Sebastian? To a gay club? What the hell, Blaine?” Nick plopped down on his bed across from Blaine. “How the hell did he find out?”

“He found the email on my laptop when I went over there to help him with the project.”

“You went over there? Dammit, Blaine. Why in the world did you do that? We told you that he was a skeez.”

Blaine sighed and sat up on the bed. “I know it was stupid. He asked me to help, and I felt bad. It was my fault that the project was behind schedule, and he couldn’t finish without seeing my work. He asked me to, and you know how bad I am with telling people no. I was trying to do the responsible thing.”

“Does Blue know?” Nick asked.

Blaine shook his head. “God, I hope not. I didn’t say anything, and Sebastian promised to stay quiet as long as I went with him and he got a solo.”

“You promised him a solo? You saw him yesterday. It was the unsexiest thing I’ve ever seen, and I may be gay.”

“Have you said anything to Jeff? You know, about how you feel?”

“Try changing the subject all you want, but I’m not going to drop it. But no. I haven’t, and I’m not going to. It’s not worth it. Except God, now I may have to. It sounds like Sebastian knows,” Nick yelled. “I mean, you heard him. He called me Flex, for Christ’s sake. He’s going to blab to everybody”

“I’m sorry, Nick. He said he wouldn’t tell as long as I kept my end of the bargain.”

Nick was so angry, he was trembling. “That’s the problem. You can’t. You aren’t on the council. We vote, and they make the final decision. I know you have a lot of pull, but Sebastian’s performance was by far the worst one of the lot, and you know that. How do you plan on securing him a solo?”

“I was hoping that he would settle for something a little less than a solo. A duet maybe, or maybe an ensemble piece to showcase the many talented members of the group.”

“A group performance. That might actually work if we could get the council to agree with it. Do you have a plan?” his best friend asked. 

“No, but Blue does.”


	9. Uncovered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine goes to Thad's party. He's sure that Blue is Kurt. Things get a little out of hand at the party.

**Chapter 9**

“After an amazing audition yesterday, the Warblers took a vote, and the results were a tie for Kurt and Andrew.”

Sebastian’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“So, do we need to do another song?” Kurt asked. “Or does everyone vote again?” 

“The council had their own vote, and we were deadlocked as well. We were going to have you two audition again until I received a few interesting emails. They were sent from a Dalton address but I don’t think that the sender used his real name. In one of the messages, he sent this.”

Wes hit play, and immediately the room was filled with a rich layering of harmonies as a rich, male voice began singing the words to ‘In My Life’ by the Beatles, but it quickly started breaking into a medley of Beatles hits, including All You Need Is Love, Help, Can’t Buy Me Love, and more. The harmonies began getting richer as the Warblers joined in. By the time the song ended, all the Warblers were up dancing and singing along. 

“Blaine, that was amazing,” Thad commented.

“That wasn’t me,” Blaine fibbed. “But it was amazing. And I think that we should do it.”

“But how are you going to sing lead on all of them?” Thad asked. 

“Easy. I’m not. I think this needs to be an ensemble piece, with multiple voices, and I think that everyone that tried out for a solo should get a part. There are multiple songs in the medley, and that way, we can showcase all of the talent that the Warblers have. I think it will give us a competitive edge.”

“That’s brilliant,” Wes gushed. “Let’s take a vote. All in favor of the Beatles medley with a solo going to each person that auditioned. That’s Nick, Kurt, Andrew, Cameron, and Sebastian.”

Every Warbler raised their hand in favor of the proposal.

“I think we found our final number at Regionals,” Wes declared. “Oh, on an unrelated note, one of our own is turning seventeen on Monday,” Wes said, pointing at Thad. “And we’re going to celebrate. There’s a social gathering in celebration of this momentous occasion tonight at David’s. We want everyone to come. It’s at seven sharp.”

“Will there be booze?” Andrew yelled out.

“We’re underage, so what do you think?” Wes countered as David winked and grinned. “So, let’s get started on the arrangement. We’ll need at least an eight-part harmony.” 

* * *

“What the hell was that, Blaine,” Sebastian griped as they entered Blaine’s room.

“You got your solo,” Blaine replied calmly.

“That isn’t a solo. I have to share the spotlight with Hummel, of all people!”

“Kurt is an incredible performer, and honestly, he outperformed you. So did Andrew. You’re a good singer, Sebastian, but your arrogance makes you hard to work with. You need to tone it down,” Blaine replied matter-of-factly, “or you could lose that solo to one of the other performers.”

“Is that a threat? I don’t think you understand that I have the upper hand here. I should post those emails on Dalton Underground,” Sebastian threatened. 

Blaine started to panic. “I told you that I’d do what I could to get you a solo, and you got a solo. And if I hadn’t intervened, you wouldn’t have gotten any of them. I kept my part of the bargain. I even went to that club with you.”

“That you did,” Sebastian grinned. “And I got the best blowjob I’ve ever gotten. That guy had a mouth like a Shop-Vac.”

“TMI! Although I know, because he did it in the bathroom, and I walked in on you two. I think I lost five pounds after throwing up everything I’ve ever eaten,” Blaine retorted. 

“Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it there. I saw you dancing with that guy, grinding up against each other. He was quite handsy. Did you get a Hugh Jackman on the dance floor?”

Blaine cocked his head sideways. “A what?”

“An HJ, a handjob. Get it?  _ You ‘jack man.’  _ You did, didn’t you? That’s the reason you dragged us out of there,” Sebastian laughed. “You needed to get out of those sticky briefs you were wearing, huh?”

Blaine shook his head, disgusted. “No, I dragged us out of there because it was eleven P.M. on a school night and you were wasted. As part of our deal, I promised to do that, and I kept my end of the bargain. You need to keep yours,” Blaine replied angrily. 

Sebastian slid his hand down Blaine’s arm. “Oh, alright. Fine. I guess you’re right. But because I didn’t get a true solo, I think it merits an extra Scandals trip.”

Blaine shook his head in protest and pulled back. “We said three.”

Sebastian laughed. “Feisty. Eli is going to have his hands full with you,” Sebastian smirked, glancing down toward Blaine’s uniform pants. “Literally, from what I saw from those obscenely tight yellow pants last night. You know, we could forget the Scandals outings, and we could just have our own private club experience here if you catch my drift,” Sebastian said, leaning in close, sliding his hand near Blaine’s groin.

Blaine jerked back and put his fists up. “Hell no. If you touch me like that again, you’ll be drifting alright. Down the Olentangy River.”

Sebastian laughed. “Damn! Calm down. It was just an offer. But damn, you have that smoldering intensity. If you were trying to turn me off, it totally didn’t work. Super hot!” Sebastian said with a wink. 

Blaine rolled his eyes. “So, two more trips to Scandals and our deal is done. You delete the emails and you leave Blue and I alone, right?”

“Sure. Whatever you want,” Sebastian grinned, thrusting out his hand toward Blaine. “You keep your end of the bargain, and I’ll keep mine,” he said, shaking Blaine’s hand. “Although, it does strike me as odd that you are so hot and bothered over this mystery guy. I mean, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were falling for this guy or something.”

“And what if I am?” Blaine retorted, crossing his arms. 

Sebastian shook his head in disapproval. “I pegged you for bright, but that’s just stupid. You don’t know anything about him. He could screw you over.”

“You mean, like what you are doing to me?” Blaine replied, rolling his eyes. 

“Oh, I told you, I could  _ screw you over _ if you’d like, but you threatened my life the last time I made that kind of offer. And besides, I’m doing the Warblers a favor.”

“How do you figure?” Blaine asked as he rolled his eyes.

“Blaine, you’re sex on a stick and you sing like a dream,” Sebastian said, sliding his hand down Blaine’s arm and giving it a firm squeeze. “I love your solos. Don’t get me wrong. They help me restock my spank bank, make no mistake.” Blaine looked as if he was about to gag. “But, they were lacking something.”

“Enlighten me,” Blaine said, surprising himself with how mouthy and sarcastic his words came out. 

“They were all starting to sound the same. Have you seen our competition? The Unitards. They’re a group that centers around one soloist as the rest of them dance around her and oooohhhh and ahhh. I know the New Directions do that during competitions too with that short, Jewish chick with the big schnoz even though they have that fat, black chick that sings better than she does.”

“That’s rather sexist and racist of you, but I’m not surprised,” Blaine said as he began pulling out clothing items from his closet. “So, what’s your point?”

“We’re better than that. We’re more talented than those public school miscreants. But we were two-stepping and humming in the background. Our setlist isn’t anything special. You said yourself that we needed to showcase other talents, do something a little edgier. I just persuaded you to do that. Granted my methods were a little harsh, but it motivated you. It got you to take action. I got you to take a risk. It’s the same with Scandals. I was just trying to persuade you to live a little.”

“Dress it up however you like, but you are still blackmailing me,” Blaine replied.

“You’ll thank me later after we win Sectionals and I possibly help you land your  mystery man.”

“And how are you planning to do that?” Blaine asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Easy. The party tonight. It’s an exclusive Warblers only party. This Blue guy is a Warbler. He’ll be there. He’s a new Warbler and he has a brother and a step-mother. There are only three guys that fit that description: Andrew, Cameron, and Kurt.”

Blaine’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “How the hell do you know that?”

“I told you. I was bored, and my dad is a state’s attorney. I don’t just use the internet for porn, you know. Oh, you should really delete your browser history. I located like six porn websites in the first thirty seconds of being on your laptop,” Sebastian winked. Blaine blushed scarlet red. “Anyway, they should all be at the party tonight. If you ask the right questions, you should have no trouble figuring out which one of those three was so desperate and pathetic that he reached out to you.” Sebastian grabbed a red pair of jeans. “These, and that black polo.”

“I’ll ask my own questions. And Kurt won’t be there. He has dinner with his family every Friday.”

“Oh, how domestically sweet,” Sebastian sassed as he pulled the polo shirt out of the closet.

“I don’t need you to pick out my clothes, thank you very much,” Blaine said, taking the jeans and polo shirt from Sebastian’s hands and laying them on the bed. 

Sebastian laughed. “You obviously do because I don’t see you rushing to put those back in the closet. Get dressed. I’ll pick you back up at eight.”

“It starts at seven. And what makes you think I’m going with you.”

“Because if you do, I’ll count it as one of our Scandals trips,” Sebastian said as he took the tie Blaine just removed from his drawer. “What did I say about the neckwear? The only thing that should be on your neck is hickeys. And then, you display those like a badge of honor,” Sebastian smirked. “Especially if I put them there.”

“Never gonna happen,” Blaine replied, grabbing the tie out of Sebastian’s hands. “And this is a semi-formal party. I can wear a tie if I want to. I have to get dressed. Do you mind?”

“I don’t mind at all,” Sebastian flirted, licking his lips. “I’ll just make myself comfortable.”

“Get the hell out of my room, Jackass,” Blaine said, pointing toward the door. “I’ll see you at David’s at seven.

“Fine. I’ll see you later, Tony,” Sebastian smiled, shutting Blaine’s door behind him. 

* * *

“Looking good, Blaine. I didn’t know you owned anything aside from the standard Dalton attire,” Jeff teased. “And my nostrils aren’t overwhelmed by raspberry. Did Nick flush your gel down the toilet again?”

Blaine ruffled Jeff’s hair. “I thought I’d wear it a little differently tonight. Kurt showed me how to style it like this the other night. You don’t like it?”

“It suits you, actually a lot better than the cemented look,” Jeff laughed. “Kurt did well,” Jeff waved at some of his other friends in the room. “Hey, guys.”

“Oh my God, everybody look! Blaine’s blazer must be in the wash because he’s not in it. This has got to be a first,” Trent laughed. 

“I do have other clothes,” Blaine chuckled.

Nick laughed. “Yeah, only cause Kurt took you shopping Wednesday.”

“Come on in guys. We’ve got karaoke set up in the den and there are snacks on the breakfast bar.”

“David, you wild man. You better put the Granola and the coffee filters back before your mom gets back Sunday,” Jeff laughed. “There’s really no alcohol?”

David shook his head. “Wes wouldn’t hear of it. But Mr. ‘I gotta get my eight hours of sleep or I’ll be the worst roommate ever’ will head out early, and then, I’ll put the real ‘treats’ out on the bar.”

* * *

“Seabiscuit. I mean, Sebastian. I didn’t think you were going to make it,” Jeff said, rolling his eyes as Sebastian strolled up to them. 

“What kind of a party would it have been without me present?” Sebastian replied haughtily. 

“A classy one,” Kurt retorted without missing a beat.

“Kurt, I’m surprised you’re here. And with a girl, nonetheless. This your sister?” Sebastian asked sarcastically. 

“This is my girlfriend, Brittany. We just arrived a few minutes ago. We had dinner with my parents first, not that it’s any concern of yours,” Kurt replied, rolling his eyes at Sebastian and turning toward Blaine. “Britt, I don’t think you’ve officially met Blaine yet.”   


“Not officially, no,” Blaine smiled, shaking the blonde’s hand. “Kurt, did anyone tell you that this was an exclusive Warbler party?”

Kurt shook his head. “Damn, are you serious? I didn’t even think to ask. In the New Directions, we were lucky if the New Directions actually came and stayed at their parties, especially if they were hosted by Rachel. Do we need to go?”

Blaine shook his head. “Nah, Wes is about to leave. Just tell her to sneak upstairs. That’s what the other Warblers do when we have parties, or they text their girlfriends after he leaves.” 

Kurt quickly told Brittany to head upstairs and hide in one of the bedrooms. “Thanks. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“Oh please, the worst they’d do is write an informal reminder to reread the rule book,” Jeff laughed. “I’ve had that happen a few times now.”

“Hey, is that a stage over there?” Kurt asked. 

“Yeah, us Warblers love us some karaoke. Trent’s pretty good at finding what you want. Just fill out a slip and he’ll call you up there.”

Kurt clapped his hands and rushed over to the table set up in the corner. 

Moments later, Wes headed for the door with David. “I better head home. I have a study session tomorrow for the SAT prep class. Don’t let things get too crazy. The Warblers have a reputation to uphold, you know.”

David chuckled. “I’ll make sure that Andrew doesn’t recruit a group of Freshman to go streaking across campus, again. It’ll be fine.”

Blaine laughed as he saw Andrew opening up the liquor cabinet as David shut the door behind Wes. He remembered what Sebastian had said about using this opportunity to try to figure out which of the three candidates was Blue. Blaine walked over to Andrew, leaving Nick and Jeff to talk. 

“Hey, you did great today in practice.”

“Yeah, thanks for giving some of us other Warblers a chance in the spotlight. That was very chivalrous of you,” Andrew smiled, filling up a red solo cup of beer and sitting it on the counter. “And it’s the Beatles. You can’t get much better than that. You want something?” Andrew asked, pointing to all the bottles on the counter. “I can mix a pretty good cocktail.”

“Nah, I’m not drinking tonight. I’ve got rehearsal for West Side Story tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, yeah. I can’t wait to see it. I have my ticket you reserved for us. You’re playing Tony, right?” Andrew asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“Yeah. I’m excited. I’m glad you are going to come,” Blaine smiled. “It’s a great show.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. I love musicals. I even thought of auditioning for one this year, if I have time. You know with Lacrosse and class and all of that.” Andrew replied, taking another drink. Suddenly, he called out to Thad across the room. “There’s the birthday dude. Wes is gone. Why the hell are you still sober? Pick your poison, man. David, rally up some guys. We can play Never have I Ever. Blaine, where ya goin’?’” Andrew asked as Blaine turned toward the living room. 

“It’s Katy. Katy Perry. Gotta go dance.” Blaine replied and moved to the living room. 

He walked into the room and was immediately surprised by the sight of Kurt on the makeshift stage singing ‘Firework,’ his hips swaying and his face alive with energy and emotion. He wanted to dance, but he couldn’t because he was so mesmerized by Kurt’s performance that he just stood there in the middle of the living room, staring at the countertenor in awe. 

Nick tapped Jeff’s shoulder and they both headed over to their best friend. Jeff playfully swatted his shoulder. “Dude, you trying out an impression of a fly trap? because your mouth is gaping open so wide I’m surprised you haven’t caught every insect in all of Ohio,” he teased. “What had you so entranced?,” Jeff asked as Kurt stepped off the small platform that formed the stage to the dance floor and started dancing to the Gaga song that just started playing.

“He’s amazing,” Blaine blurted, and then he quickly realized what he just said out loud. “His voice. It’s just pure, raw talent.”

Jeff nodded. “Yeah. He is great. He sings all the time in our room, mostly in the shower, but occasionally I’ll catch him singing along to some classic rock. Journey, Def Leppard, Queen-”

“Queen?” Blaine asked, surprised. “I thought Kurt liked the Broadway classics.”

“He does. But it turns out that he’s pretty eclectic. You should see his iTunes. He has everything from the Soundtrack of Rent to John Mellencamp to the Beatles,” Jeff said. 

“He likes the Beatles?’ Blaine squeaked. He was embarrassed by the way his voice cracked at the end, but all he kept thinking about was Blue’s messages. Blue was Kurt. He had to be Kurt.

“Hey, where did Kurt go? He was just there dancing, wasn’t he?” Blaine asked, whipping his head around, searching the room trying to find the boy he had been watching moments before. “I wanted to talk to him about the number for Regionals.”

Nick eyed Blaine knowingly. “He went upstairs a moment ago.”

“Oh ok. Well, I’m gonna go up there. I don’t want to forget to mention it to him, that thing about the song.” Blaine hurried off and bounded up the stairs, completely oblivious to the fact that his friends had no clue what he was talking about.

“What thing with the song?” Jeff asked, perplexed by his friend’s strange behavior.

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “No clue. You know how Blaine gets when he starts talking about music.”

Jeff makes the cuckoo sign with his fingers and turns toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna get a drink. Want one?”

Nick smiled at his best friend. “Sure, why not?,”

* * *

Blaine’s head was spinning. Blue was Kurt. He had to be. He loved show tunes, Queen and the Beatles. He loved fashion. He was smart. It had to be him. 

“Did you see where Kurt went?” Blaine asked Cameron, who was leaned up against the banister. 

“Yeah, he went into that room a minute ago,” the brunette answered. “Hey, thanks for everything. I wouldn’t have gotten a solo if you hadn’t addressed the council.”

“You deserved it. Your audition was great,” Blaine smiled. “Who you got with you?”

“Oh, this is my brother, Chad. He came home from OSU today and we were supposed to hang out, but I told the Warblers that I’d be here. So they told me to bring him along.”

“Someone’s gotta watch this rowdy bunch,” Chad laughed, ruffling his brother’s hair. 

Blaine smiled. “Yeah. I need to ask Kurt something, but we’ll talk later, ‘Kay ?” Blaine said twisting the doorknob and stepping into the room, his mouth dropping open in shock.

* * *

Blaine’s eyes were wide in horror at the scene in front of him. There, on the bed, was Kurt, Brittany straddling him, her tongue clearly in his mouth and her hands on the fly of his pants. “Oh God, I’m sorry, I-” Blaine shut the door behind him and dashed down the stairs, nearly knocking over Cameron in the process.

“Dude, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Where’s the fire?” Cameron asked, concern written on his face. “Are you ok?”

Blaine nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I just clearly should’ve knocked.”

“Been there multiple times. I room with David.” 

Blaine laughed. “Oh, God! You poor soul. I’m sure you have your stories,” Blaine said as they headed down the stairs. 

“Man, I’m not drunk enough to start recounting any of those stories. I’m gonna get another beer. You want one?”

“I’m not supposed to. I’m the designated- Oh to hell with it! One beer won’t hurt. ”

* * *

Blaine sat up in an unfamiliar bed in only his boxers, squinting because of the light peeking through the partially opened blinds. He rubbed his throbbing head as he winced from the sudden flash of a light being turned on. “What the hell happened last night?”

“What happened is someone finally let loose, Killer,” Sebastian said with a wide grin, walking out of the adjoining bathroom in only a tight pair of briefs.


	10. Hung up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine tries to find out what happened at the party.

**Chapter 10**

“Oh my God! Oh My God! What the hell happened?” Blaine worried, practically leaping out of the bed, clutching at the blanket around his waist.

“Someone shed his pants and designated driver title. Your buddies had to crash at David’s since they all got trashed. I figured since you dragged my ass out of the club the other night when I got wasted, I would do the same for you,” Sebastian smirked, scratching his belly. “You didn’t seem to mind at the time.”

“Where’s my wallet and my keys?” Blaine started looking around frantically.“Better yet, where the hell are my pants?”

Sebastian threw a pair of sweatpants at him. “In the garbage can. You kind of upchucked all over them. It’s a shame. Those pants made your ass look amazing. Although, it looks even better without them,” Sebastian grinned. “I put your keys and your wallet on the nightstand.”

“Did we? Did you and I-?” Blaine looked as if he was about to hurl all over the rug. 

Sebastian frowned. “Do you honestly think I’d be that forgettable, baby? Of course, we didn’t. I don’t make a habit of having sex with unconscious guys. I told you, consent is kind of a big deal with me. I just needed a shower. Some guy kind of threw up on my shoes, and I don’t want to smell like your upchuck today.” Sebastian pulled on the pair of jeans he wore the previous night. “Get dressed. Seeing you in only your underwear is making me regret being a gentleman last night, and I don’t like having regrets. Besides, you said something about a rehearsal or something.”

“Oh God,” Blaine groaned. “Play practice. What time is it?”

“Almost 9:30. When do you need to be there?”

“Ten,” Blaine groaned.

“Text them and let them know you’ll be late, but you’ll be there.” Sebastian grabbed his cell and called an Uber. 

“How are you even functioning right now? You finished two beers before I even got started, and I know you didn’t stop there.” Blaine groaned. “How are you not dead?.”

“Because I’m not a lightweight like you. Those two were all I had. I drank pepsi after that. I didn’t want to get trashed,” Sebastian chuckled, dropping two pills in his hand. “I already brewed some coffee. Take these and get dressed.”

Blaine was floored. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because that’s what wingmen do, and like it or not, I was yours last night.”

“I must’ve slapped a nun in another life,” Blaine said, rubbing his temples. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Blaine collapsed into his chair after rehearsal. He was never drinking again. His headache was finally fading as the events that lead to his drinking binge became clear. He had walked in on Kurt.

Correction. He had walked in on Kurt and his girlfriend rounding second base and heading for third. He had been certain that Kurt was Blue. There were so many signs. Blue even said he had a girlfriend, but he had admitted that there was no spark between them and they had never actually slept together. Blue was a virgin. Kurt had not given off that vibe. 

Blaine sighed. If Blue wasn’t Kurt, who was? There was still a possibility that he was Andrew. After they had talked at the party, Blaine realized that several clues pointed to him. He liked the Beatles and he was certainly lively. He had a brother. He was fashionable, although not in an obvious sense, and he drove a classic car. There was a chance.

There was also a chance Blue was Cameron, although Blaine didn’t remember much of their conversation. This was a mess. Blaine opened his laptop and began scrolling through his messages when he saw it. 

**Message from Email from** [ Blue45801@daltonmail.com ](mailto:Blue45801@daltonmail.com)

_ Dear Tony,  _

_ You mean you haven’t figured it out yet? I thought it was obvious. I do appreciate that you are respecting my wishes even though it is driving you crazy. There are times I do get close to just signing my actual name, but I choke every time. I’m just not ready. I’m sorry.  _

Blaine sighed in frustration, but he understood. As much the suspense was killing him, he needed to respect Blue’s wishes. 

_ You don’t have to tell me about toxic masculinity. My brother plays Call of Duty, and I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced enough trauma and violence in my life already, and I just don’t want to put someone else through that pain. You are right though. From a young age, guys hear repeatedly that they aren’t supposed to cry. For a long time I tried not to. I forced a smile and pretended that the threats and the cruel words didn’t affect me. Eventually, I wasn’t able to hold up the facade anymore.  _

Blaine’s heart hurt as he read those words. He knew what it was like to pretend that everything was ok. 

_ No fighting in fight club. Well damn. I’ve been looking for scrapes and scuffed knuckles in the Warblers’ practice room. So much for that strategy.  _

_ Where were the teachers? Good question, although I could ask the same thing about Dalton. They never seemed to be in the halls. I’m sorry you experienced bullying. So, you are short? I’m not tall either. I have grown several inches in the last year. But I vow that even if I reach seven feet tall, I’m never going to stop wearing my heels (except when I’ve got to climb those damn stairs multiple times throughout the day.) Hmmm, you definitely can’t be John. He’s freakishly tall. _

_ I’m already on scholarship, but it’s only a partial one. I received an academic scholarship, but it only pays for tuition. Room and board and other expenses are not covered. Last year, because I transferred in the middle of the year, I didn’t qualify. I drove back and forth but we realized that it was more expensive to drive after you factor in the wear-and-tear on my vehicle and the cost of gas. I’m thankful I’m rooming this year as well because it was a long commute. I was always exhausted. I’m still exhausted now, but that’s because my roommate doesn’t know the definition of quiet. _

Blaine laughed. Nick said the same thing about him all of the time. 

_ I want to apply for Julliard and NYADA too, but unless I can get a scholarship, it won’t happen. If I can’t afford the tuition at Dalton, I definitely won’t be able to afford either of those schools. I’m saving up, but my obsession with designer fashion definitely puts a massive dent in my account.  _

Blaine thought of how much money he had spent shopping only a few days before.  __ Damn, he realized that Sebastian said that he threw out his favorite new pair of pants. Blaine sighed an continued reading. 

_ You got to see Wicked on Broadway? That’s amazing. I’ve seen a few bootlegged copies, and I downloaded the entire soundtrack on iTunes. Wait, Adam Lambert was in Wicked? How did I not know this? Did you know that a film was supposed to come out next year? They haven’t announced the cast yet. We have to go see it. Promise me.  _ ****

Blaine gasped. Blue wanted to see Wicked with him at the movies? That meant that he did want them to meet each other eventually. Blue was still scared, but he did see them as friends. Blaine continued reading. 

_ You aren’t a Blainiac too? I can’t help it. He’s adorable. He’s sweet too. And now that he’s toned down the hair gel and wears socks, I’d say he’s my idea of a Disney prince.  _

Blaine could feel the heat in his cheeks. A Disney prince? That’s how Blue saw him? He was flattered until he realized that Blue had called him out on the hair gel and the lack of socks. Oh well, if Blue liked him better with the socks and without all of the gel, he’d gladly keep his new style. 

Then, he realized that Blue had brought up his crush on Blaine several times, and he kept asking Blaine what he thought. Blaine had skimmed over it all because what in the hell was he supposed to say? If he said that he didn’t think Blaine was attractive, it might end it there. But then what would happen when they did meet? And if he did say that Blaine was hot, that could lead to a flattering but embarrassing conversation. He thought of how awkward it was with Kurt when he was talking about his good traits. He wasn’t able to stop blushing the entire time. Fortunately, Kurt hadn’t seemed to notice. 

_ Thank you for sending the Beatles Medley to the council. I know it was you. You were the only one that had it. How did you record the harmonies? It sounded like three different voices. One was Blaine, wasn’t it? Of course, you would recruit him to help you. Please don’t tell him what I said about him earlier. I’d be mortified.  _

Blaine shook his head in frustration. Blue would be mortified when he realized that he was talking to Blaine the entire time. Blaine had hoped that Blue somehow knew it was him, but it was obvious that he had someone else pictured. Then again, Blue had recognized Blaine’s voice- his voice. He had Nick and Jeff fill in the leads, and he only sang harmonies. How did Blue notice? 

_ Yes, we are going against my old glee club, which is precisely the reason I didn’t mention it. I was dating a member, and I knew it would be super awkward. She and I didn’t talk about the club. We barely talked about anything of substance. Although I do know more about cat diseases than I ever wanted to know.  _

Blaine laughed again. Cat diseases? Blue’s girlfriend was certainly strange. 

_ Was the bar that bad? I would like to visit one someday, but probably not anywhere close to home, especially not in conservative Ohio. As for the bathroom scenario? Ewwwwwwww! I think I upchucked more than the time I accidentally ingested Visine. Don’t ask.  _

Ingested Visine? That sounded dangerous. It also sounded familiar. He remembered a story one of the Warblers told him about throwing up after drinking the eye drops. Think Baine. Who told that story? Blaine’s head was still throbbing from the hangover that never completely went away. Hopefully, he would remember it later. 

_ What do you mean by asking me if I have heard the new album? HELL YES! Super Power might just become my ringtone. Except now it can’t be because if it went off in practice, you’d know it was me. Damn my blabbermouth! A muzzle? I might need to borrow that. Was he that drastic or were you just that shrieky?  _

_ I was about to comment on how bad a full bladder is on your kidneys, but then I started thinking of how people described the state of the men’s bathroom in any type of club setting, and I can’t say that I blame you, especially if you walked in on that!  _

The scene flashed into his mind again; Sebastian’s pants around his ankles, another guy on his knees on the floor, bobbing his head up and down. Dread overcame him as he realized that he had to return to Scandals with Sebastian again tonight. 

_ The Warblers gave you a pet bird too? I love that tradition. I have to admit that we often do duets in our room when my roommate is out.  _

_ My brother’s pregnancy scare is a long story. In a nutshell, she cheated on him with his best friend. It was quite the scandal. My brother even went back to her after all of that. It was insane.  _

_ I stole some of those comparisons about Sebastian from my roommate. I honestly don’t know a Warbler that likes him. I have some choice French words I’d like to use to describe him but he’s fluent in French, so that won’t work. Do you know how to say meerkat in Italian?  _

Did Blue know that he knew Italian? It was one of the foreign languages Dalton offered. It sounded like Blue took French. Which of the Warblers took French? Blaine shook his head. Blue kept giving him clues. Was he doing it purposefully? Was he doing it to taunt him? He wanted to bang his head on the table in frustration. 

_ Andrew Lloyd Webber goes to Dalton? Don’t toy with me. It would be impossible, but hey, I dream big. Scrooge is a dick? LOL! Don’t invite your momma to be your date to the Tonys just yet.  _

_ I’m telling my father today, and I have to honestly say that I’ve never been so nervous in my life. My dad has always been supportive, I guess, but we just haven’t been that close since my mom passed. Fingers crossed. _

Blue was coming out. He was doing it today. This was big. Everything could go great, and Blue might even want to come out to everyone. Or, it could go badly, and Blue may pull away from him. He sighed loudly and continued reading. 

_ Tsk, tsk. Poor skin care is no laughing matter. You’ll regret it when we’re fifty and we look like a before and after photo of Mother Gothel. _

Blaine laughed as he began reading the next paragraph.

_ You drive a Toyota? Hmmm! I’m sitting here trying to remember which of the Warblers I’ve seen getting into one of those. I haven’t paid that close attention. I know, I know. I’m supposed to be this car enthusiast. I assure you I will pay more attention from now on.  _

He had given Blue clues too. Maybe Blue was trying to figure out the mystery first. He was so confused. 

_ I don’t know. Do you live on your piano bench? You must have some mighty annoying habits if your roommate wants to shut you up. LOL. As for all the composing, stop whining. You already have a jump start on the first song.  _

_ Things sure are grim _

_ For poor tiny Tim _

_ ‘Better run away quick _

_ ‘Cuz Scrooge is a dick _

_ It just rolls right off of your tongue, doesn’t it? _

Blaine laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair. Those were amazing lines. Of course, ‘What the Dickens?’ would be a satirical comedy. 

_ I do not use car euphemisms for it, although gear shifter is a good one. Now that I think about it though, I could think of some mighty crass jokes about handling a stickshift, and I don’t think I could bear that. I have a friend that calls his ‘soldier’ because he says he likes to ‘salute’ all the fine women. He’s single as if you couldn’t guess.  _

Blaine smiled as he thought of how awkward this must have been for Blue to write. The funny thing was that it didn’t feel awkward to him. This is how he spoke to Nick and Jeff. Hell, Jeff told stories all the time about embarrassing things that had happened to him when he had his dick out. Blaine had shared his own stories with him as well. It didn’t feel awkward because he knew his friends didn’t judge him. Blue was comfortable with talking to him, enough that they were both discussing their dicks. Blaine realized that Blue was becoming nearly as close a friend as Jeff and Nick. 

_ Whether I did anything wrong or not, I don’t think I’ll get over that easily. But you're not wrong. Everyone deserves to feel safe.  _ ****

Blaine read the last line again. Everyone deserves to feel safe. This. This was safe. It was comfortable. 

But it wasn’t. Not really, because Sebastian knew, and he had no problems with exposing their private messages to one another. And if Sebastian did, that was it. All of this was over. Blue would be gone.

_ Do you think you’ll deter me by sending fifty messages? Just understand that if you do send me fifty messages, I will reply to every single one of them. Two can play that game.  _

_ And yes, I dissed the Pussycat Dolls. I used to sing “When I Grow Up” incorrectly. My dad was mortified when I sang “When I grow up, I want to have boobies.” I’ve never seen a man so red with embarrassment in my life.  _

Blaine laughed so hard his sides hurt. He shook his head. Nobody ever made him laugh like that. Come to think of it, nobody made him feel as alive as Blue did, not Tina, not Jeff, not Nick. Nobody. Why was that? He didn’t even know who Blue was. Blaine kept reading.

_Sincerely,_

_Blue_

_P.S. You rebel you, trying to get them to change the blazer. LOL. I bet Thad lost it, didn’t he?_

Suddenly, Blaine realized that he may not know what Blue looked like, but it didn’t mean that his messenger didn’t know him. He had told Blue his innermost, darkest secrets and dreams with an ease that he had never known before. Blue had gotten him to open up in a way that he had never completely done with anyone else before.

The realization hit him like a boulder falling from the sky. 

Holy shit!

He was falling in love with Blue. 


	11. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Jeff deal with the aftermath of their actions at the party. Sebastian renegotiates the terms of their deal.

**Chapter 11**

Blaine shook his head in disbelief. How the hell could this be love? It couldn’t. They were friends. They had not even met face to face.

Wait a moment. Of course they had. They were in the Warblers together. They saw each other the other day. Yet, he couldn’t say what color Blue’s eyes were or how tall he was. He couldn’t go up and just start talking and joking with him like he could Nick or Jeff. They couldn’t hang out in his room and watch movies or listen to music. Blaine sighed. He didn’t know Blue at all. How the hell could he be in love with him? 

But-

They did talk about the movies they loved to watch. They confided in one another about their hopes and dreams. Blaine had even dreamed of this man, and what he was beginning to realize was that the superficial things, like his hair color or his stature didn’t matter. Blue could have pink hair or a giant face tattoo or horrible breath, and none of that would matter. What Blue did have was a connection with him. He got him in a way that no one had before, not even his best friend, Nick. 

Wait, where the hell was Nick? Blaine looked around and grabbed his phone and started a text to his roommate. 

**Blaine:** Where are you? Are you ok? I’m sorry about last night.

**Nick:** It’s fine. I stayed at David’s. Jeff and I both did.

**Nick:** I’m home now. I called an Uber. I had to get out of there.

**Blaine:** Why? What happened?

**Nick:** I screwed things up with Jeff. He hates me!

**Blaine:** There’s no way he could ever hate you. He’s your best friend. What could you have possibly done that would make him hate you?

**Nick:** I told him. I blurted it out. How I feel about him. We were wasted. 

**Nick:** And I kissed him. He kissed back.

**Blaine:** He kissed you back?

**Nick:** It didn’t end there. Blaine, we woke up in bed together this morning. 

**Nick:** Naked.

**Blaine:** You two had sex? How the hell did that happen?

**Nick:** I’m not going into the logistics of it, Blaine.

**Nick:** But yes, and then we fought. I’ve never seen him so upset. He took off. He told me that he needed space and that it was a horrible mistake.

**Blaine:** Oh God. Call me.

Immediately, Blaine’s phone flashed with a call alert from his best friend. “What exactly happened? Tell me from the beginning.”

“We were playing truth or dare. Damn that Andrew! He dared me to kiss Jeff. I wasn’t going to do it, but Jeff grabbed my face and kissed me, hard. Apparently, we got into it and there were catcalls and everything. We pulled apart, and then Jeff dared Andrew to strip and run naked through the street. It became a group challenge when Andrew recruited about five or six others to strip and join him.”

“God, he always finds a way to strip naked. Every single time. Then what? You guys didn’t join him, did you?”

“Hell no. I was still fairly sober, and Jeff was tipsy but he wasn’t drunk yet. We went and fixed ourselves another drink and then we went upstairs, Jeff spouting something about not wanting to see Andrew’s naked ass again,” Nick chuckled softly, then sniffled. Blaine could tell that he was crying.

“Didn’t you say he was the one that gave Andrew that dare in the first place?” Blaine chuckled. 

“Yep,” Nick said, popping the p.

“So then what happened?”

“We went into an empty room, just to talk. It got deep. He asked me if I had ever been in love. I said no, but apparently, my face gave me away. You know how Jeff is. He just kept asking and asking, and by that point, I was trashed, and I blurted it out. I told him everything.”

Blaine felt his breath hitch. “Then what?”

“He kissed me. He kissed me so hard I fell back on the bed, and he didn’t stop. We didn’t stop. Blaine, I slept with my best friend and I messed everything up.”

“Do you know where he went?” Blaine asked. Just then, he got a text on his phone. It was from Jeff. 

**Jeff:** Call me ASAP!

“Nick, I have to go. It’s Jeff. He’s texting me. I’m going to see if he’s ok.”

Nick sniffled again. “Please! Make sure that he’s ok. And let me know that he’s safe. He ran out of here so fast, and I’ve been a nervous wreck all morning. I would’ve called you sooner, but I kind of passed out when I got home. I cried myself to sleep.”

“Hey, call me back if you need me, ok? It’ll be fine, Nick.” Blaine assured his friend.

“You don’t know that,” Nick cried. “Call him, ok? Then, call me.”

Blaine hung up and immediately called Jeff.

“I slept with Nick,” Jeff blurted.

“I know. I was just talking to him. Where are you?”

“My dorm room. Kurt isn’t here. He had to take Brittany home. Please come over.”

* * *

“I brought you a cinnamon mocha and some aspirin,” Blaine said, walking in and handing the coffee to his distraught friend. Jeff’s face was red and puffy from crying. He had the blankets wrapped around him tightly. 

“I can’t believe that I screwed up everything. I was so freakin’ terrified. Did he tell you everything that happened?” Jeff sniffled, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

“He told me the gist,” Blaine replied. “You wanna tell me what happened?”

“He told me he loved me, Blaine, and I flipped because Nick is straight. At least, he’s supposed to be straight. I’m not so sure anymore. I don’t think he knows either.”

“How did the conversation even come up?” Blaine asked.

“We had been drinking, and we couldn’t find you anywhere. So we joined a game of truth or dare. Andrew dared Nick to kiss me, and he started to protest, and so I just went for it, to get it over with, you know,” the blonde boy explained. “But it wasn’t over. I had never had a kiss feel like that before. Ever! I didn’t know they could feel that confusing and that amazing at the same time.”

“So wait, you thought it was amazing?” Blaine prodded.

“Blaine, it was Nick. Of course, it was.”

“So wait, you wanted to kiss him?”

“For a long time now. I just didn’t mean to do it in front of all of our friends. So I stopped. I tried to forget it, but I guess as we got drunker, I started talking about love and stuff. It’s kind of fuzzy exactly what lead to everything, but he told me he loved me. Blaine, Nick said that he loved me,” Jeff said, wiping a tear away that had fallen on his cheek. “And I couldn’t keep it inside anymore.”

“Keep what inside?” Blaine questioned, patting his friend’s shoulder to comfort him. 

“I’ve been in love with Nick for years. Ever since we roomed together Freshman year. God, I’ve been holding that in for so long,” Jeff sighed.

“But that girl? You dated her for a while. You slept together, even.”

“Tonya, yeah. I was relieved when she and I got serious because I thought I was getting over him. I think that’s why I did it -why I slept with her. I thought if maybe I could have sex with a girl, then it meant I wasn’t gay.”

“Are you?” Blaine asked, searching Jeff’s eyes, “because it’s ok if you are.”

Jeff shook his head. “No. I’m bisexual. That’s why I ended things with Tonya. I wasn’t being fair to her because I wasn’t in love with her. I wanted to be, but I couldn’t get over what I felt for Nick.” 

Blaine nodded in understanding. “Does anyone else know?”

Jeff nodded. “My mom, my therapist, and my roommate.”

“Kurt?” Blaine asked.

“Yeah, I kinda told him after I saw that post on Dalton Underground. He could tell the whole post unnerved me,” Jeff said. “Kurt’s a good guy. Here I was freakin’ out because I just blurted out that I was bisexual, and he told me everything was ok.”

“So, wait,” Blaine said, scooting his back against the headboard of the bed and motioning for Jeff to do the same. Jeff sighed and moved next to his friend. ”You love Nick, and he loves you. What’s the problem?”

“I want a relationship. I want to be open. But he’s not out. God, I think he might even be the guy that posted on Dalton Underground.”

“He’s not Blue” Blaine blurted. “I know for certain that he’s not.”

“Wait, what? You know who Blue is?” Jeff asked, sitting up straight in the bed, the blankets falling to the floor.

“No,” Blaine sighed. “But I know he’s not Nick.”

“How do you know?” Jeff asked, staring at Blaine intently, his cheeks still streaked with tears.

“Because Nick told me he’s not. That’s what we were talking about that day he sent you for coffee and you handed Sebastian’s ass to him. He told me because I thought he was Blue and he thought I was.”

“You?” Jeff’s mouth dropped open in surprise. 

“Jeff, I’m gay. I’ve known for several years now.”

“So wait, you’re Blue?”

Blaine laughed. “No, but I’ve been emailing him. Ever since he posted that message.”

Jeff cracked a smile. “So that’s the reason you’ve been acting so weird.”

Blaine nodded. “Yeah, I- Wait? I’ve been weird?”

“Blaine, you changed your hair and your wardrobe. You waited until the last minute to complete that project, and you went out with Sebastian, for crying out loud.”

“He found out. About me and Blue. He threatened to post our messages on Dalton Underground if I didn’t go to Scandals with him.”   


“That bastard!” Jeff exclaimed, practically leaping up from the bed. “I told you he was a douche.”

“And you were right. Although-” Blaine stopped.

“Although what?” Jeff said. “Wait, you said, you went to Scandals with him. Why would you go there together unless- Holy shit! Sebastian is Blue!”

“Hell no! But he is gay.” Blaine dropped his face into his hands. “God, I didn’t mean to just blurt that out.”

“Holy hell,” Jeff laughed. “I guess the rumor is true. Half of the Warblers really are gay. Or gay-ish. God, I don’t even know,” Jeff said, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. “I’m so confused.”

Blaine laughed and grinned. “It’d be comical if it wasn't such a mess. So, back to you and Nick. What are you going to do about it? You ran out on him, and he’s a wreck.”

Jeff sighed and sat back down. “I want him, Blaine. I want everything with him. But I don’t want to hide anymore. It’s exhausting. Besides, I don’t want to hide out in our rooms all the time and hold hands under the table. I want to show him off. He’s freakin’ gorgeous, Blaine.”

“He’s cute, but he’s kind of a slob,” Blaine laughed. “You can have him. Did you ask him though? To come out?” Blaine asked. 

Jeff nodded. “He said he wasn’t even sure if he was gay. He said he needed time. I guess I overreacted and I ran out of there. I was terrified. I told him everything I had been holding back for three years, and it just felt like it was over in a matter of minutes.”

“But it’s not,” Blaine smiled. “He loves you, Jeff. You two will figure this out. I know you will.”

Jeff sniffled again. “I hope so. I’m not sure that he wants to talk to me. I said some pretty awful things.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Jeff.”

Jeff ran to the door and flung it open. Standing in front of him was Nick, holding two coffee cups.

“I know you said you needed space,” Nick whimpered.

Jeff took the coffee from Nick’s hand, set it on the table, and pulled Nick inside the room, kicking the door closed behind them. “And you said you need time to think.”

“I had time, and it sucks. I want you. I want us, and if I need to come out for that to happen, I’ll shout it from the rooftops right now. I just want you.” Nick said, taking Jeff’s other hand in his. 

“God, I just want you, too,” Jeff admitted, and immediately they were kissing passionately, Jeff’s hand rucking up Nick’s shirt that was tucked into his pajama pants. 

“Um, guys,” Blaine cleared his throat. “I’m in the room,” he laughed, “although, I just thought of somewhere else I need to be.” Blaine grabbed his coffee cup and headed for the door. “And you guys need to do some serious talking.”

Jeff flipped Blaine the bird as Nick laughed and muttered something like, “Talk later, kiss now.” Blaine closed the door behind the two boys and grabbed his phone out of his pocket.

**Blaine: Hey, I just left your room and you may want to stay gone for a while. Jeff has someone over.**

**Kurt: It’s ok. I’m not home. I went home for the weekend. I had to take Brittany home, and then I had to meet my dad.**

**Blaine: Yeah, about that, I’m sorry. About what happened at the party.**

**Kurt: It’s fine. Just tell Jeff to clean up all signs of debauchery before I get home.**

**Kurt: :^( Last time, I found a scarlet, lacy bra on my bed.**

**Kurt: I’m pretty sure it wasn’t his. LOL**

**Blaine: I think not. LOL.**

**Blaine: Well, have fun. See you Monday.**

**Kurt: See you then. :^)**

* * *

Blaine rubbed his temples as he re-read the last email from Blue. He realized as he was leaving Jeff’s dorm that he hadn’t replied to his last message. 

He hit the compose button and immediately began typing. 

**Dear Blue,**

**No, it’s not obvious. I thought I knew, but it turned out that I was wrong. I can respect that you aren’t ready, though. But we have to meet eventually. We have to go to the Wicked premiere together. I’m not letting you get out of that one. You hear me? It’s not set to be released until at least 2021, and you know it will probably be delayed again so you have until then. LOL.**

**Call of Duty is one of those games I never cared much about. I can kick your ass in Just Dance 2020 though.**

**I understand what it’s like to pretend that everything is ok, although my mom calls me out if I try it with her (she’s a therapist, remember?) My roommate can also tell when something is wrong, but everyone else usually falls for it.**

**You won’t find any scuffs on our knuckles. It’s too risky. If the teachers or administrators saw bruised knuckles or hands or other signs of fighting, they’d investigate and probably suspend everyone involved. It’s happened before. We’re very careful. We wrap our knuckles. I use boxing gloves. Most of us are on sports teams, so we usually have a backup story if we do get a black eye or something. These days, it’s more demonstration and quick matches more than anything. Damn, I keep forgetting that I’m not supposed to talk about it.**

**That’s a good point about the teachers at Dalton. I guess they tend to stay in their classrooms or the lounge area.**

**How in the hell do you wear heels? I’ve tried because I’m so short, and I ended up with a sprained ankle last year. Wes was not amused because it was before sectionals. I hated those steps then. I agree that John is freakishly tall.**

**That’s great that you received a scholarship. I knew you had to be intelligent. I don’t envy you having to commute last year. I don’t know how you did it.**

**I know for a fact that both Juilliard and NYADA do offer scholarships, although they are both highly competitive. It’d be worth applying, though. You never know. As for fashion being expensive, I know what you mean. I paid seventy-five dollars on a pair of jeans, and now they are in the garbage. I’m quite pissed because I’ll need another pair. I have several shirts that coordinated with those pants that I wanted to wear. I think I’ll go ahead and order another pair online. I swear here and now, I’m not drinking again.**

**Adam Lambert was an understudy in the West Coast production. I didn’t realize it either until I stumbled across a recording of him singing “As Long As You’re Mine” in ‘A Very Wicked Halloween’ special. Let’s just say that was how I became a fan of his music. After I heard that, I started looking up his other music and his Queen covers as well. It’s on my bucket list to see him live.**

**No, I’m not a Blainiac. He’s a little short for my taste. He has a nice voice though. I know he’d be flattered that he has fans. Well, besides the council. I think he’s relieved that he won’t be singing all of the leads this time. I’m glad you aren’t angry with me for sharing the Beatles medley with the Warblers. When we win Regionals, it will be because of you. You have a very sharp ear. Blaine did help with the recording. I thought I’d be clever and disguise the voices with an app I have, but obviously, you weren’t fooled.**

**You WERE dating a member of the New Directions. I noticed this was in past tense. Did she quit? Did you two break up? And why did the two of you talk about cat diseases, of all things?**

**Yes, the bar was THAT BAD. Fine. I won’t ask about the Visine story, but you do have my curiosity piqued.**

**You can borrow the muzzle anytime. In fact, you have my permission to hide or lose it. And excuse me, I’m not shrieky.**

**Trust me. If you would’ve walked in on that, you would’ve had a full bladder too. The two men involved were NOT attractive. Do you have a ritual for cleansing your eyes? I think I have that memory etched into my mind. It did serve the purpose of letting me know that I’m definitely not a voyeur.**

**I love that you sing with your bird too. We should bring them together. We could become a quartet. We’d be the next big thing.**

**I think I’ve met Rachel’s boyfriend. I don’t remember anything about him except he was enormously tall. By the way, you should know by now, I don’t shy away from long stories. Our messages aren’t necessarily short. :^D**

**The Italian word for meerkat is suricato. I had to look it up because I’ve never needed to say the word meerkat in Italian, but I do speak it fluently. One of my grandmothers is Italian. We’ve even gone to Italy to see her. Italian is a beautiful language. Say it out loud. It sounds so much prettier than meerkat.**

**If you write lyrics that well, why do you need help? I can’t wait to hear the next verse. I can just see it now; a chorus line of everyone at the end of the play joining hands with Scrooge saying:**

**.**

**We've got what we’ve been praying for**

**Scrooge isn’t a dick anymore**

**Since he saw his own grave**

**He decided to behave**

**Scrooge isn’t a dick anymore.**

**.**

**It’s a masterpiece already. Admit it. You’re singing it right now in your head.**

**Ok, now to the heavy part of the message. How did it go with your father? Did you tell him? If you need to talk, I’m right here, and I will always listen to you.**

**Don’t diss mother Gothel. She looked pretty good for a 400 -year-old. Tangled is honestly one of my favorite Disney films. I used to walk around the house singing ‘When Will My Life Begin.’ Mandy Moore has a beautiful voice.**

**You are welcome to check the lot, but you won’t see my car. I’m currently driving a rental because mine was making some weird knocking noise in the engine. Maybe I shouldn’t have driven around with the check engine light on. You said you like cars. Maybe you might know what’s wrong with it. The mechanic at the shop said we need to replace the engine. My parents are not pleased.**

**I do have some annoying habits but so does my roommate. He wouldn’t ever use a muzzle on me. Oh, he’d try but he’d have to catch me first, and that isn’t happening.**

**After this whole conversation we have going, I realized that I’m quite unoriginal in my terminology. I just call it a dick, which I determined I can’t use anymore because I don’t want to view the words dick and scrooge as synonyms. I found a comprehensible list of euphemisms (I think I told you that before) that I have once again scrolled through so I could find a more appropriate one. I’ve included the link here. I’m going with the Bone Ranger. I’m quite disturbed to see that Tiny Tim is on the list.**

[ **Ranking The Top 100 Slang Words For The Male Penis** ](https://www.manscaped.com/blogs/news/slang-words-for-penis)

**As for sending me fifty messages, was that supposed to be a deterrent? That just means I’d get to talk to you even more than I do right now. Bring it on.**

**Oh dear God. I love a good mondegreen. That’s the official term for a misunderstood lyric. If you ever have an afternoon to waste, you should go to this website** [ _ Queen Misheard Song Lyrics _ ](http://www.amiright.com/misheard/artist/queen.shtml) **) and just read the misheard lyrics for Bohemian Rhapsody. Did you know that there is quite a bit of Italian in the bridge? That’s the reason there are so many misunderstood words. Freddy loved opera and many operas are in Italian so I guess that makes perfect sense.**

**Until we speak again,**

**Tony**

**P. S. Actually, Thad was quite calm. Trent, on the other hand, compared the room to a kangaroo court. It was quite hilarious. You should’ve been there.**

Blaine had just clicked send and closed his laptop when the door swung open and Sebastian barged in, removing his sunglasses and immediately looking Blaine up and down. 

“Hey, Killer. Looking hot,” Sebastian winked as he strided into the room just as Blaine sat his laptop down on his nightstand. He barely acknowledged Sebastian as he walked over to the mirror to check his hair once more. 

“Thank you. I’m still kinda hung over, so I was hoping you would let us just go again Thursday. You know, since we went to the party last night. And that will meet the three nights out.” Blaine said as he wet his fingers in the sink and smoothed down an unruly curl.

“We still have two nights, Blaine.”

“Wait, but you said that last night would count,” Blaine nearly shouted as he turned around to face Sebastian. 

“And it would’ve, if you hadn’t thrown up all over my shoes. I ended up helping you out and all, so I think that kind of negates the deal, don’t you?”

“Actually, I don’t. I think you should stick to our deal,” Blaine said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

“And that’s the reason you should’ve gotten it in writing. Dear old dad taught me that. He’d be proud of me right now, that is if he knew how to be proud of anyone but himself,” Sebastian said. 

“Does your dad know?” Blaine asked. 

“That I use some of his tactics to make things go in my favor?”

“That you’re gay?” Blaine retorted, his hand resting on his hip.

“Of course not. That would mean that he took at least an ounce of interest in my life, and that’s nowhere close to the truth,” Sebastian replied, frowning. “He’d blow a gasket. He’s running for attorney general. He told me I’d better keep my nose clean while I was under his watch. He didn’t want me to blow his chance of being a bigshot,” Sebastian replied, rolling his eyes. “Why? Are you thinking of blackmailing me in return? Sending my father an email about my recreational activities?”

Blaine looked as if he had been slapped. “No, of course not.”

“Oh really? And why is that?” Sebastian asked.

“Because I’m not you. I was asking because I wondered if you had any support or anyone to talk to.”

“No, Mary Poppins, I don’t. But I’m fine,” Sebastian retorted. 

“That explains a lot,” Blaine said,giving Sebastian an understanding, sympathetic look.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sebastian challenged, his hands moving firmly to his hips as he leaned into Blaine, clearly on the defensive. 

“It explains why you try to manipulate everyone instead of trying to become their friend. I actually couldn’t understand why Jeff disliked you so much. Don’t worry. I do now. Come on. I’m not staying out late. And tonight, lock the damn door if you decide to let some guy charm your snake, got it?”

“Got it. And you, steer clear of the alcohol. Those pants accentuate your ass far too well for you to wretch all over them,” Sebastian smirked. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Blaine’s head was throbbing. It was only ten P.M, and the night had already been horrible. Sebastian disappeared somewhere shortly after they arrived, and he hadn’t resurfaced. He had also neglected to say that Saturday was half-price draft night, which meant there was much bigger crowd, and they were a lot rowdier than they had been on Thursday. 

On top of that, Eli was back. Apparently, the half- priced draft promotion was one of the reasons he was there, and he was already fairly drunk. He was much more handsy, touching and groping Blaine on the dance floor. Finally, Blaine had to tell him that he didn’t feel well, and he was going to go sit out the next few songs. Unfortunately, the guy didn’t get the hint and just followed him back to his table. He even offered to help him relieve the tension, and that was the last straw. 

Blaine picked up his phone and texted Sebastian.

**Blaine:** Where are you? Did you leave?

**Sebastian:** No. I’m close by.

**Blaine:** What the hell does that mean? You better not be in the bathroom!

**Sebastian:** Nope. Someone threw a hissy fit about my bathroom rendezvous last time.

**Sebastian:** Lucky for me, my man for the half hour has a ‘Shaggin’ Wagon.

**Blaine:** I’d say gross, but I guess that’s better than seeing your ass. 

**Blaine:** I wanted to let you know that I’m leaving. My head is pounding, and you aren’t here anyway. 

**Sebastian:** You can’t leave. You’re my ride.

**Blaine:** Call an Uber. I’ll pay for it. Or have your friend take you home in his shaggin’ wagon.

**Sebastian:** Blaine, this was not part of the deal. 

**Blaine:** I guess you should’ve got it in writing. I’m going home. 

Blaine silenced his phone and put it in his pocket. “Eli, I appreciate your company, but I think I’m gonna head home. This headache is getting worse, and I think I just need to sleep it off.”

“Bummer! When will you be back” Eli asked, frowning.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. But it was nice meeting you.” He grabbed his keys and left a tip on the table for the waiter. “I’ve got to go settle my tab. Have a good evening.”

**_________________________________________________________________________**

Blaine immediately went to his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen and grabbed a cold bottle of water from his mini-fridge. He swallowed the pill and collapsed on his bed, pulling his laptop table over to him so he could check his email.  He saw it immediately. 

**Message from Email from** [ Blue45801@daltonmail.com ](mailto:Blue45801@daltonmail.com)

**Subject:** I’m officially out

_ Dear Tony,  _

_ I’m going to respond to your entire message, but I had to tell you this first. I did it. I’m out. Well, at least to one person. The funny part about it all was that he knew. He said he’s known since I was three when I asked for a sensible pair of heels for my birthday. That was one of the main reasons he sent me to Dalton. After everything that happened to Chester, he didn’t want me having to endure any more than what I had already experienced. He also told me tonight that he loves me just as much. God, you were so right. Immediately, a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders. I feel so liberated.  _

Blue did it. He was out, and everything was fine. Maybe he should take the same step. His two best friends already knew. Hell, his two best friends were now in a relationship with each other. Maybe it was time to tell his own parents. What was the worst that could happen?

_ You thought you knew my identity? What made you realize you were wrong? I do plan on meeting you face to face, and it should definitely be before we go to see the Wicked movie. I hope they cast Adam Lambert as Fiyero. He would be amazing, and maybe it would persuade him to cut his hair. I don’t mind a little scruff, but I miss his clean-cut look.  _

Blaine shook his head. He did not want to answer that question. It was too painful. He could respect that Blue wasn’t ready yet, but it was killing him. It was like Jeff said. He was tired of hiding. He and Blue had this amazing connection. He was falling in love with him, for crying out loud. It didn’t matter what he looked like, although Blaine had hoped it was Kurt. Kurt was absolutely gorgeous. He was also straight and taken. Blaine sighed heavily and scrolled down.

_ Bring it on. My roommate and I play a lot of ‘Just Dance,’ and I have some serious moves. I’m not as good as him, but he’s showing me some secrets. Be prepared to get your ass handed to you.  _

_ I’m sure having a mother that’s a therapist has its perks and its drawbacks just as having a stepmom in the medical field. We never have to wait to see a doctor, that is if we need one, and she knows which ones know their shit and which ones don’t.  _

Blue’s stepmom was in the medical field? Was she a doctor? A nurse? A lab Tech? More vague clues. It didn’t help because he didn’t know what jobs Andrew’s or Cameron’s moms had. 

_ I won’t tell anybody what you told me about fight club. It sounds quite nice. Let me know when you want some recruits. I told you before, I may look like a delicate flower, but I can kick some serious ass if I need to.  _

A delicate flower? Could Cameron be described as delicate? He was tall and skinny. It was possible. Andrew wasn’t tiny. He was stocky with broad shoulders. What did Blue mean by delicate?

_ I love boots and most of them have heels. Besides, it’s true. Heels make you walk with better posture, which in turn makes your ass look better and so I call it an even trade. As for the sprained ankle, so that’s why you all resorted to two-stepping. I’m relieved that you stepped up your game this year, especially since you are up against the New Directions. They have some amazing dancers.  _

Had he ever seen Cameron or Andrew in heels? Hell, he didn’t know. The only guy he remembered in heels was Kurt. God Blaine, stop torturing yourself. Blue isn’t Kurt. Blaine kept reading. 

_The commute was a tradeoff for feeling safe. It was hard, but it was worth it._ _I have already picked up applications for both schools from my former guidance counselor. I may be keeping a list of all of the things I can list for extracurriculars. Now, I can add soloist for the Dalton Academy Warblers._

Blaine smiled. He was relieved that the Warblers had decided to change their final number. They might have a shot at winning Regionals now. 

_ You threw out a pair of seventy-five dollar jeans? (BRAT!) I could’ve helped you get any stain out, although vomit is not fun. At least you learned a valuable lesson. _

Did Blue just call him a brat? He chuckled. He wished Sebastian hadn’t thrown out the jeans, but he didn’t want to ask Blue how to remove vomit either. He did learn a valuable lesson. 

_ You have a bucket list too? Adam Lambert is on mine too, but I won’t give specifics.  _

Blaine blushed as he felt himself growing hard in his pants. Did Blue just tell him that he fantasized about having sex with Adam Lambert? God, that was hot! 

_ Aw. Blaine isn’t that short, although it does explain why he is always jumping on furniture. It’s so people can see him.  _

Blaine laughed. Did he jump on furniture that much? Ok, he kind of did. 

_ I thought we had already established that I was clever, but you can remind me whenever you want. The other voices sound familiar too.  _

_ My girlfriend and I broke up. There were multiple reasons, the main one being we both knew we weren’t right for one another. I told her the truth about me. It turns out that I wasn’t the only person at my previous school that wasn’t a hetero. She’s bisexual, and she’s in love with her best friend. Her friend loves her too, but she’s not ready to be out. I understand that completely.  _

Blue and his girlfriend broke up. He was out to two people. Blaine smiled. He was proud of his friend. Maybe this would lead to Blue coming out entirely.

Blaine dropped his head in shame. He was such a hypocrite. He was hiding the same secret. He picked up his phone and texted his dad. 

**Blaine:** Dad, I’m stopping by tomorrow. Can we all have brunch? 

He waited a moment to see if his dad was going to text back but then he realized how late it was. His dad was already in bed. He kept reading. 

_ I’m sorry I insinuated that you were shrieky, but in all fairness, you said it first. _

_ I'm relieved that you aren’t a voyeur. It’s not my kink either. I can’t even watch porn.  _

Dammit! He was starting to get hard again. Was Blue doing this on purpose? Blaine tried to think of unsexy thoughts as he continued reading. 

_ I love the bird quartet idea, although they say in show business, you should never work with animals. Maybe we could just be a duo.  _

_ You speak Italian fluently? That’s amazing. I’m fluent in French. My mother was French. She taught me some of it before she passed. I continued to study it after she passed because it was a way to stay connected to her. I’d love to go visit France one day and see all of the sights. I agree that the word meerkat sounds prettier in Italian, although it sounds too pretty to be a rodent. Sigh. I guess I’ll just have to insult Sebastian in English.  _

Blue was fluent in French? Did Cameron or Andrew take French? Blaine was going to have to start cracking down on his research.

_ It is a masterpiece already. And yes, I’m singing it in my head right now as I type this. I say that we do this as a collaboration. It’s worked thus far.  _

_ Mother Gothel did look amazing for someone who was four hundred, although she did have an impeccable skin-care routine. I agree that Mandy Moore has an incredible voice. I also love her in a walk to Remember and This is Us. _

_ My father is a mechanic, and he would lecture you for driving around with a knocking engine. It could cause the engine to blow. It could have been something as simple as low oil, the wrong octane type of gas, or worn-out spark plugs. However, if it damaged your engine, it won’t be so simple to fix it anymore. You should check to make sure that your car is still under warranty. If it isn’t, it may be easier to just get a new engine than to get the old one repaired. I know a few great mechanics that could give you a good deal.  _

There it was again. Blue was giving him more clues. It was so confusing. He kept saying he wanted to stay anonymous, but he kept spilling more and more facts about himself. Was he toying with him or did he want Blaine to find out?

_ I do have some annoying habits but so does my roommate. He wouldn’t ever use a muzzle on me. Oh, he’d try, but he’d have to catch me first, and that isn’t happening.  _

_ Oh god. Fine, I’ll play. (Insert rolling eyes here.) I say manhood. Yes, I know. It’s the most boring term on the list. Of course, I’d die if I said some of those other ones. Heat-seeking Moisture Missile? Really? That’s almost as bad as custard launcher. As for you, the Bone Ranger? Really? You saw ninety-nine other terms and you pick that one? Smartass! It makes me feel relieved that we agreed to stay platonic because I could never keep a straight face if my boyfriend said that in front of me. Hey baby. It’s time for you to meet the Bone Ranger. Bahahaha. :^D  _

Blaine’s breath caught in his throat when he read the word boyfriend. Had Blue thought about them being boyfriends or was he just teasing? Of course, he was teasing. Once again, Blue said that he wanted to stay platonic. This was starting to suck. He was in love with Blue, but honestly, this was a one-sided thing. 

_ Alright, you asked for it. Get ready for your inbox to be flooded. I’m just kidding. I don’t have time for that. I have been a busy boy. You’ll just have to be patient and know that anything great is worth waiting for.  _

_ I just told you I am a busy boy, but I spent the last hour reading mondegreens? I have never laughed so hard in my life. I think my favorite is ‘But he’s naked all the time’ instead of ‘body’s aching all the time.’ Coffee actually spurted from my nose. Honestly, I have sung the wrong words to that song too. What the hell is a bismillah? I have to admit that after I finish reading all the Queen ones, I’m looking up the Beatles and Lady Gaga. I’m afraid of what I may find. God, what rabbit hole have you led me down?  _

Blaine was thinking the same thing about being led into a rabbit hole. This whole thing with Blue and the mystery of it all. He wanted it over. He wanted to know. It was driving him insane. __

_ Your friend and stage show song co-writer,  _

_ Blue _

_ P.S. I wish I was there. It sounds like the whole discussion was hilarious.  _

Just then, Blaine got an incoming text. He closed his laptop and set it on the nightstand. 

**Dad:** Is everything ok? 

**Blaine:** Yeah, I just wanted to visit. I miss you guys. 

**Dad:** It’s not visiting. This is your home. We miss you too. 

**Blaine** : I know. What time would be good?

**Dad:** We’ll see you tomorrow at eleven. Get some sleep. It’s late. 

**Blaine** : See you then. Good night dad. I love you. 

Blaine’s stomach was in knots. Tomorrow, he was going to take the leap and tell his parents. 


	12. Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine tells his parents about his college preferences and his sexuality. Someone posted his and Blue's messages on Dalton Underground.

**Chapter 12**

Blaine hugged both of his parents and sat down at the table. He grabbed a muffin and spooned some sliced fruit onto a plate. “How’s Coop?”

“He’s good. Filming another commercial. But he said he’s going to be there for one of your shows. I told him about the dates next weekend. Actually, I went ahead and booked a flight. You know how your brother is,” Pam laughed. “I love this outfit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in orange.”

“A friend of mine helped me pick out some things that bring out the colors in my eyes. I never thought I’d wear orange either, but I kind of like it,” Blaine smiled. “So, I kind of wanted to do this today because I have something to tell you guys.”

“Is it about a girlfriend?” his dad asked.

Blaine shook his head. “No, no girlfriend.” Blaine bit his lip. “I want to go to performing arts school,” he blurted. 

“We know,” his mom said. “Cooper mentioned it the last time that he visited, something about you going to LA and staying with him. Is that what you want to do?”

Blaine shook his head. “It was an option, but the more I think about it, I think I want to stay on the east coast. I’m applying for Julliard and NYADA.”

“NYADA,” his father asked, clearly perplexed. 

“New York Academy for Dramatic Arts. It’s very prestigious. They only accept around twenty new students every year, but with my theater credits and my academic record, I think I have a shot. Especially if I start contacting them now. Nick has talked about moving to New York too. Possibly Jeff as well.” Blaine smiled thinking about his two best friends. “Would you guys support that?’

Pam and Kyle looked at each other and nodded. “If that’s what you think you want to do,” Pam said with a smile. “We just want you to be happy.”

“But I still want you to apply to the schools we’ve talked about. If these schools are as prestigious as you said, you’ll need back-up schools,” Kyle said. “And none of those schools that only have art classes. I want you to get actual college credits, you know, in case you change your mind.” Pam slapped his shoulder and gave him a disapproving glare. 

“I’ve already been checking into it, but dad, these are real college classes. Besides, I’m taking AP classes now. I will have quite a few credits by the time I graduate,” Blaine frowned. “I’ve already acquired admission packets for quite a few schools, including NYU and Columbia.”

“So you’ve made up your mind that you don’t want to go to LA with your brother?” Pam asked.

Blaine shook his head. “Not necessarily. I’m also applying for UCLA and the California Institute for the Arts. They are both considered to be top ten schools.”

“Have you applied to Brown yet?” Kyle questioned, staring directly in his son’s eyes. “That’s where Tina’s going right.”

‘Yeah, Tina is applying there,” Blaine nodded but shifted his gaze to the wood-grained deck. He cleared his throat. “I grabbed an application, but I haven’t filled it out yet. They don’t have a large performance arts program.”

Kyle shook his head. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. That just means you’ll get a lot of good roles. I assume most of the art majors are women? That’s actually a formidable plan,” Kyle said, playfully slapping Blaine’s shoulder. “You’ll have most of the girls to yourself because most of the guys that major in the arts are of the _feminine persuasion,”_ Kyle said, bending his wrist.

Blaine stood up from his seat, his arms crossed. “So what if they are? And just because a man is gay, it doesn’t mean they’re feminine,” Blaine retorted.

“Of course, it doesn’t honey,” Pam said softly, shooting Kyle another glare. “The Berrys, Rachel’s dads, didn’t you say they were possibly checking out some schools in the New York Area this summer?” Pam asked. “We could make it a joint trip.”

“Pam, that’s ridiculous. Do you really want our son exposed to her dads’ constant displays of affection?” Kyle teased, laughing loudly. Pam mouthed for Kyle to stop.

Blaine rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Actually, mom, there are several Warblers planning a college road trip to New York this summer. One of Nick’s brothers, Paul, goes to NYU, and David’s brother goes to Vassar in Poughkeepsie.”

“Is David the gay one?” Kyle asked.

Blaine felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle up. “Nope, that would be me,” he blurted.

Pam’s mouth dropped open in surprise as Kyle almost choked on his drink. “Son, that’s not funny.”

“Good, because I didn’t mean for it to be. I’m gay, and I’m not going on some week-long college trip with Rachel Berry. I’m going to study dramatic arts in New York, which means I’m not going to Brown,” Blaine stated, pushing his chair in. “Thanks for breakfast mom. I’m going back to Dalton.” Blaine said as his phone buzzed. He answered as he walked down the driveway to his rental car. 

**“** Hey, have you seen the Dalton Underground this morning ?” Jeff asked, his voice sounding worried. 

**“** No. I just finished having brunch with my parents. I told them. It didn’t go well,’ he sighed as he sat down in his driver’s seat and started the ignition. 

**“** I’m sorry, man. We can talk about it after you get back here, but you need to pull up the site right now,” Jeff said. 

“Jeff, just say it. What’s wrong?” as he backed out of the driveway. 

**“** There are photos of Sebastian in the Columbus Dispatch. It’s the front-page story. The whole story is about how his dad is running for Attorney General preaching about conservative family values when his own son is out partying at Lima’s gay club. It’s bad. Someone posted it on Dalton Underground too.”

“I told him Scandals was a bad idea,” Blaine said, as he stopped at the stop sign and checked to make sure it was clear. “Oh God, I bet Sebastian is pissed at whoever did this.” 

“He barged into your room trying to find you. He thinks you are responsible,” Jeff explained. 

“So wait, so he thinks it was me?” Blaine sat there frozen in his seat. 

“You mean you didn’t do it?” Jeff asked. “He deserves it for what he was doing to you.”

“He does deserve it, but I’d never out anyone. Plus, it’d be stupid. He’d post the letters between Blue and I. I hope to God that he doesn’t see this.”

“He already has,” Jeff mumbled.

“Wait. What? What’s going on, Jeff?”

“Blaine, pull over, and then check Dalton Underground right now!”

Blaine shifted his car into park and grabbed his cell phone. He pulled up the site and almost threw up when he saw the post at the very top of the page.

**Gay Warbler is none other than Warbler Soloist, Blaine Anderson, Not Sebastian Smythe!**

**_Remember the post about the Gay Warbler? Photos of Sebastian Smythe at a Gay establishment were recently printed in the Columbus Dispatch. However, since the invention of photoshop, any Jackass with a computer can manipulate a photo, which is exactly what happened. Smythe’s lawyers have already discredited the photos and have brought up charges against the offenders. Therefore, there is no longer any reason for the rumor to be circulating that Mr. Smythe has been involved in any behavior unbecoming a man of his importance and notability here at Dalton._ **

**_However, people seem to be forgetting that there was a recent post here from a Warbler admitting that he is gay. Although sources were unable to identify the poster using the moniker Blue, messages have been discovered that were exchanged between Blue and another Warbler, going by the name Tony. Since there are currently no Warblers on the roster bearing the name Tony, I decided to do some digging._ **

**_After reading through the messages (that were left carelessly open so that anyone could read them), I discovered quite a few similarities between Tony and lead Warbler, Blaine Anderson._ **

**_Tony’s first message said that his father was a former track star and a member of the student council. He said his mother was a former valedictorian and had her Master’s degree. To top it all off, he has a semi-famous brother. After doing research on all of the current Warblers, I discovered that the only Warbler whose family fits all three of those criteria is Blaine Anderson. Not to mention, Blaine is starring in West Side Story this following weekend as the leading male character, Tony. Just in case you don’t believe me, I included their messages so you can uncover the truth for yourself._ **

Blaine felt his heart pounding in his chest as he scrolled down and saw pictures of his father in the Dalton Yearbook, a clipping of Cooper with an article about his latest commercial, and a clipping of his mother from the paper when she got her Master’s Degree. They were followed by his own picture from the yearbook and his and Blue’s first few emails. 

Blaine dropped his cell phone into the passenger seat, slammed the car into drive and headed straight for Dalton, praying the entire time that Blue hadn’t seen the post yet. 

* * *

Blaine had never driven so fast in his life. He rolled into his parking spot and scrambled through the parking lot without pausing once to wave or talk to anybody. 

He took the stairs two at a time and ran straight to his room and grabbed his laptop and opened his email account and began composing a message.

 **Message to** [ Blue45801@daltonmail.com ](mailto:Blue45801@daltonmail.com)

Subject: Please Read this ASAP

Dear Blue,

Don’t freak out, but in case you haven’t seen Dalton Underground, I needed you to hear it from me. Somebody posted our messages online. I’m sorry. If you’ve seen Dalton Underground, you know who I am, and I hope that it doesn’t change anything with us. I know who did this, and I’m going to get this straightened out. I swear. Please don’t disappear. PLEASE!

Sincerely,

TONY

AKA Blaine Anderson

Immediately, a notification popped up.

 **Message Failure to** [ **Blue45801@daltonmail.com** ](mailto:Blue45801@daltonmail.com)

**Reason: This account has been deleted.**

* * *

Blaine wrung his fingers through his hair. He copied the message and typed in the address in hopes that he had typed the address wrong just to have the same notification pop up again. He almost slammed his laptop down on his nightstand and fell back onto his bed, tears spilling from his eyes. He curled up into a ball and cried into his pillow until his eyes burned from his salty tears and his cheeks were streaked red. He didn’t know how long he had been lying there when he heard a gentle knock at the door.

“Blaine?” Nick said, opening the door and peeking his head inside. “Man, it’s going to be ok.”

Blaine sat upon his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs. “He deleted his account,” Blaine sobbed. 

“We gotta get back at Sebastian. We could replace his lube with super glue or cover his toilet seat in Icy Hot,” Nick suggested. 

Blaine shook his head.“I don’t care about Sebastian right now. I just need to talk to Blue. I need to talk to him, but I don’t know who he is,” Blaine sniffled.

“We could serenade him in Warbler practice or we could do a performance for him in front of the school, in the cafeteria or something,” Nick suggested, placing his hand on Blaine’s shoulder to comfort him. 

Blaine shook his head. “He’s a Warbler. How could we plan that without him finding out?” Blaine responded. “Besides, you don’t know how adamant he was about anonymity. It was his main stipulation,” Blaine said, another tear sliding down his cheek. “He’s done with me. I just know it.”

“Ok, wait. Let’s just think about this,” Nick said, grabbing the Warbler photo. “You said you love this person. Do you have an idea which Warbler it is? There aren’t that many options. Who have you narrowed it down to?”

Blaine sniffled again. “Andrew or Cameron. He said he was a junior or a senior, but I ruled out all of the seniors. He has a stepbrother, and he has a girlfriend. Well, he did, but they broke up. And he’s fluent in French.”

Nick shook his head. “It’s not Andrew. He takes Spanish with me and he’s failing. It could be Cameron. He has a step-mom and a step-brother. Chad, his step-brother, was a former Warbler, and he was at the party the other night. But I don’t know if he’s fluent in French. The only Warbler that I know who is fluent in French is Sebastian, and it can’t be him.”

Blaine sighed. “I feel like it’s right in front of my face, but I can’t figure it out.”

Nick nodded sympathetically. “You didn’t seem convinced it was Andrew or Cam. In your gut, who did you think it was?”

“I was sure it was Kurt, but I kinda walked in on him rounding second base with his girlfriend at the party the other night. Until then, I was sure it was him,” Blaine sniffled. “I guess it was just wishful thinking.”

“Jeff and I both had girlfriends. Hell, we’ve both slept with girls, and now we’re with each other. Is it possible that Kurt is bi-sexual, you know, like Jeff, or pan like me?” Nick asked. 

“No. He said he wasn’t really attracted to girls. He said he was definitely gay,” Blaine tried to smile. 

“Then, it’s definitely not Andrew,” Nick chuckled. 

Just then, the boys heard a knock at the door. “Open the door, assholes. This coffee is freakin’hot,” Jeff laughed, kicking at the door.

Nick opened the door for his boyfriend and took the drink carrier from his hands. He gave Jeff a small kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.” 

Jeff grinned. “What were you talkin’ about? Was it about how we’re going to make Sebastian regret his existence?”

“Blaine was telling me about Blue. He has narrowed it down to Cameron or Andrew.”

“Andrew? He’s painfully straight. His motto is a chest with big breasts is best. And he has posters of Selena Gomez all over his room. Why did you think it was him?” Jeff asked.

Nick wrapped his arm around Jeff’s waist. “Blaine said he gave a few clues in his messages. He’s a junior. He has a step-mom and a step-brother. He’s fluent in French, and he loves Wicked.” 

Jeff’s mouth dropped open. “You just described Kurt.”

Blaine’s head jerked upright. “Wait. It can’t be Kurt. He has a girlfriend!”

“Hell, we all had girlfriends, and now Nick and I are boyfriends. Sebastian supposedly had a girlfriend or two. It means nothing. You know that. Besides, he and Brittany broke up after the party,” Jeff said.

“They didn’t act broken up when I saw them,” Blaine grumbled.

“Well, they’re broken up now, trust me. I talked to Kurt about it yesterday. “

“You really think it’s Kurt?” Nick questioned.

Jeff gave a dirty look to his boyfriend. “Kurt is my roommate. We talk about pretty much everything. I’ve even met his step-brother and his dad on Skype. What else do you know?”

“His stepmother is in the medical field, although I don’t know what she does, and his father is a mechanic. He likes Queen and Adam Lambert and the Beatles.” 

“That’s definitely Kurt,” Jeff interrupted, grabbing Blaine’s hand. “God, Blaine, you’re the dumbest smart guy I know. He’d kill me if he knew I was telling you this, but he figured out it was you.”

Blaine’s mouth dropped open. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“Kurt swore me to secrecy. He’s not ready to be out. We talked about it after I told him about Nick. He said he understood what I was going through, and he admitted he was the one that posted on Dalton Underground. He told me about Tony, well about you,” Jeff smirked, “but he didn’t know it was you when he told me. I kinda figured it out after you asked me to help you sing backup on the Beatles medley tracks you recorded. I was in the room when Kurt was trying to piece all the songs together. And then, when you acted like you didn’t know anything about it in Warblers practice, I realized that you didn’t know it was Kurt who sent it to you. I thought for sure you’d figure it out after the party. And then, Kurt came back all upset because he broke up with Brittany and went back to find you and Cameron told him that you went off with Sebastian. He thinks you slept with Sebastian. Please tell me that you didn’t.”

Blaine was so upset that he was shaking. He slumped down on his bed. “No, I got so drunk that Sebastian decided to watch out for me to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid. Apparently, I threw up on him. He took me back to his room to sleep it off. That’s the reason he posted mine and Blue’s messages. He said he looked after me and I bailed on him when I said I’d be his wingman. He got outed, and he wanted to take the attention off himself.”

“It was still a dick move for Sebastian. I bet he always had every intention of posting those messages. I told ya. He’s a douche.” Jeff sat down on the bed next to Blaine and patted his knee. “Oh, god. That’s the reason Kurt was so upset after he saw the message on Dalton Underground. You gotta go work this out with Kurt. If he knew that you didn’t sleep with Sebastian, you could probably work this out. For some crazy reason, he’s got it bad for you.” Jeff said, grabbing Blaine’s hand and pulling him out of his bedroom and down the hall. All three boys practically ran to Jeff and Kurt’s room.

Jeff tried the dorm knob, but it was locked. He quickly swiped his key and opened the door. “Well, shit!”

“What?” Blaine blurted, rushing inside to see the room stripped of any character on what was Kurt’s side of the room. The photos, bedding, and clothing in the dresser drawers were all gone. The only thing in his closet was his neatly ironed Dalton suits. 

Jeff ran to the desk which usually held Kurt’s laptop. Instead, there was a note.

_Dear Jeff,_

_I’ve decided that Dalton is not the right place for me any longer. Thank you for your friendship. I know that you know everything including that Blaine is Tony. Please help him understand that I can’t come out yet. I’m not ready. Tell him not to write to me. I just need time and space right now._

_Sincerely,_

_Kurt_

_AKA_ _BLUE_


	13. Blackbird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warblers go to McKinley to get Kurt back.

**Chapter 13**

“Now what,” Blaine worried aloud. “He’s gone, guys. Jeff, can you call him? Please!”

Jeff shook his head. “Hell no! You’ve never been on the raw end of a Kurt Hummel bitch fit. You saw the note. He’s gonna be furious that I said as much as I did. I’m gonna deny the shit out of this if he asked if I told you. I’ve got the feeling that he’s so pissed at you that you’ve got one comin’ and I’m not stepping in there to ease the brunt of it.”

“Well, thanks a lot, buddy,” Blaine said sarcastically.

“You’re welcome man,” Jeff replied. “Seriously, what are you going to do? I want my roommate back, and you guys would be perfect for each other. I know the Warblers would help. Besides, we need Kurt for Regionals.”

“Oh crap! What are we going to do about Regionals? They’re in two weeks, and we’ve got to prepare a new number,” Nick worried.

Blaine looked puzzled. “Why?”

“Duh, because Kurt and Sebastian were two of our leads on our final number. Sebastian’s not that big of a deal because my bulldog could stand in his place and sound better than he did on ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ but nobody else can sing Kurt’s parts like he can.” 

Blaine smiled. “I know how to fix this. Nick, call Wes. We need an emergency Warblers meeting.”

* * *

“Oh lord, why are we meeting on a Sunday? I’m still hung over.” David groaned.

“Which is exactly why I said no alcohol. Not to mention, I got an email from the headmaster, who said we are no longer allowed to have any parties or informal gatherings without an adult present. Apparently, there are photos of Andrew’s cheeks on Dalton Underground and not the ones on his face,” Wes frowned.

“I always heard those were my best set,” Andrew laughed. 

“From what I saw, neither set of cheeks is worth bragging about,” Trent retorted. 

“Burn!” laughed Skylar. “And Trent would know because he’s an ass man. Although according to Dalton Underground, he’s not the only Warbler interested in asses. It seems Blaine and Sebastian got acquainted with each other’s at Thad’s party.”

Wes immediately hit his gavel against the table. “That will be enough of that. Dalton Underground is nothing but a gossip site, and they’ve gone too far this time. I’m going to the headmaster to get it shut down, ok Blaine?” Wes assured his head Warbler.

Blaine shook his head. “Actually, I don’t want it to be shut down, because it’s true,” Blaine admitted.

Various gasps of surprise and shock could be heard from normally calm boys.

“Wait! You slept with Sebastian?” John asked. “Gross.”

“God, no,” Blaine grimaced. “But I am gay, and those messages were genuine.”

The room erupted in noise, as some Warblers were asking other boys to explain which messages Blaine was talking about as others were making guesses as to which Warbler in the room was Blue.

“So wait, if you’re saying the messages were real, then you’re saying that one of us is Blue,” Cameron concluded. “Do you know which of them it is?”

“Them?” Andrew retorted. “Other than Trent, you’re the gayest looking guy in here.”

Cameron shot Andrew a look as Wes banged his gavel on the table. “Do you have a suspect as to who posted the messages, Blaine?” Wes urged as he sent Cameron and Andrew a warning look. 

Blaine nodded. “I know for a fact that it was Sebastian.”

“Why would Sebastian do that?” Skylar questioned.

“Because he’s a douche,” Jeff retorted “And he blackmailed Blaine for the solo in the medley.”

The previously quiet room was suddenly alive again with noise as gasps and shouts from angry Warblers filled the air.

“Wait, he did what?” Thad shouted. “This is an outrage! 

Wes banged his gavel against the table again. “Warblers! We must have order. Blaine, is this true? Was Sebastian blackmailing you?”

Blaine nodded again. “He found out that I was gay, so he told me that if I didn’t get him a solo for Regionals and go to Scandals with him that he’d post my messages with Blue on Dalton Underground.

“That Jackass,” Thad shouted again. “I move that he immediately be dismissed from the Warblers and barred from ever joining again.” 

“I second that,” David agreed. 

“All in favor?” Wes asked.

Every Warbler raised their hands. 

“It is so done. Was that the emergency you wanted us to discuss tonight, Blaine?” Wes asked.

Blaine shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. It’s Kurt.”

Trent looked around as did several other Warblers as if they were going to find him and prove Trent wrong. “I noticed he was missing. Is he still in Lima?”

‘Yeah, permanently,” Jeff blurted. 

“Wait, what?” Wes gasped, along with a few other members. “Kurt is moving back to Lima? Why?”

“Because Blaine’s an idiot,” Jeff teased.

“So Blaine finally figured it out,” Trent replied.

“Figured what out?” David questioned, scratching his head.

“That Kurt is Blue,” Trent replied matter of factly. 

“Wait, how the hell did you know?” Blaine asked.

“Because I can read, and the messages from Blue sound like Kurt talks.” Trent rolled his eyes. “And I actually have a developed gaydar. He stares at you constantly with this dreamy look which could only be described as heart eyes. His notebooks are filled with cute doodles of hearts with K & B forever. Besides, no straight guy has hair that nice and cares that much about his skin. The guy has an hour-long skin regimen. I roomed with him last year when he moved here and he spends more time in the bathroom than I do.”

Jeff laughed. “An hour is just on a regular night. You should see him when he finds a zit. He hogged the bathroom for two hours one night. I had to go pee in Nick’s room.”

“About that, are either you or Jeff gonna address that elephant in the room?” Trent asked. “Did you two finally get your heads out of your asses? I heard some interesting grunts and moans coming from David’s room, and you two were the only ones that emerged the next morning.”

“Wait, what?” David said, looking scandalized. 

“Come again?” Nick said, his cheeks turning scarlet red. Jeff looked as if he wanted to crawl under the rug.

“I bet you did,” Thomas said and then wolf-whistled. 

“Damn, I knew something, or someone, was gonna go down when I dared them to kiss,” Andrew laughed, waggling his eyebrows at the two blushing Warblers. “So was it a drunken game of hide the kielbasa, or are you two like Anderson and Smythe?” 

“I knew it. You two totally shacked up at David’s party. You owe me twenty,” Evan said to Skylar. Skylar reached for his wallet but Wes hit his gavel on the table again. 

Wes cleared his throat. “That’s enough! This is an official Warblers’ meeting, and we will not conduct ourselves in this manner, like a bunch of cackling hyenas. We’re here because Blaine needs our help with something. Something pertaining to Kurt, who is also a Warbler until we are notified otherwise. Blaine, how can we help?”

“I’m certain that Kurt is Blue. And unless we do something about it, he’s going to transfer back to McKinley tomorrow and we’ll lose him forever,” Blaine said.

“I’m afraid that I don’t see why this is such an emergency,” Thad remarked. “I’m sure that you can take his solos.”

Blaine shook his head. “Kurt was the person that arranged the Beatles medley and he deserves to be the one that sings it,” Blaine protested. “Besides, he can’t go back to McKinnley. He was bullied and mistreated there.”

“For being gay?” David asked empathetically.

“For hanging out with a friend who was. He wasn’t out, but people taunted and teased him. He was gay by association,” Blaine answered. “Look. Here at Dalton, we’re fortunate. People have known that Trent was gay for a while now. Have you ever been bullied?” the soloist asked his friend.

“No, although I have had to deal with some ignorant comments from time to time. The teachers always shut it down before it got out of hand,” Trent replied.

“What would they do to him there if he went back there and they found out that he was gay for sure?” Wes asked, his brows arched and his face showing a look of concern for his fellow Warbler and friend.

“He said it was pretty brutal. They threw him in the dumpster, slammed him into lockers, and threw slushies in his face almost daily,” Blaine replied.

“Wait, are you serious? Why didn’t the teachers do anything?” Wes questioned.

“Because the people doing it are the popular kids. My friend, Tina, goes to McKinley, and she’s told me about the slushies. She said the jocks have done it to her and the other glee kids right in front of the teachers. The only one that has ever tried to do anything about it was the glee coach.”

“So, I don’t get it,” Cameron said. “Why would he go back there if he was bullied like that if he could be here where he’s safe and accepted?”

Blaine sighed. “Because he’s not one hundred percent sure that he is accepted here. I’ve known you guys for years, and I was too scared to come out. He’s been here less than a year and doesn’t feel like he can truly be himself here like he could in his old glee club.”

Wes nodded and frowned. “But why were you scared, Blaine? Our decision to make you our main soloist was because you have an incredible voice and an unmatched stage presence. It had nothing to do with your sexual preference, and it never will. It’d be the same for Kurt or anyone else in this room that isn’t straight. All that matters in this room is that you sing your heart out at practice and at Regionals. Right, guys?”

David smiled and Thad nodded, and the rest of the Warblers agreed in some form or fashion. 

“I was never really worried about you guys. It was everybody else,” Blaine explained.

Trent nodded in understanding. “I get what he’s saying. It was hard for me to come out even though it was blatantly obvious I was gay. But I’ll tell you right now, all that worry and anxiety was for nothing. You guys still accepted me, and the people that didn’t weren’t the kind of people I’d want as friends anyway. Pretending to be something you’re not doesn’t help anyone because you are miserable, and those that care about you are miserable too because they can tell that you’re not ok.”

“Exactly, you’re awesome, man, even if you like other dudes,” Andrew laughed. “Personally, I don’t see the appeal. If I want to play with a dick, I’ll play with my own.”

“You already do, like all the time,” laughed Beatz, Andrew’s roommate. 

Laughter broke out across the room as Wes once again banged his gavel on the table. “Okay, so back to the issue with Kurt. Do You have a plan to get him back?”

Blaine nodded. “Blue said that he likes grand gestures, and I have an idea for one that I think he’ll love. But I’ll need your help.”

“What do you have in mind?” Wes asked.

“We need to sing to him, off-campus. We need to go to McKinley,” Blaine stated matter-of-factly.

“Absolutely not,” Wes objected. “The Warblers haven’t performed in an informal setting since 1927 when the Spirit of Saint Louis overshot the tarmac and plowed through seven Warblers during an impromptu rendition of Welcome to Ohio, Lucky Lindy.”

“Blaine, is there another reason? I mean, we all want Kurt back, but there is something you aren’t telling us?” David inquired.

“Because I’m in love with Blue. With Kurt.”

Nick and Jeff smiled at each other as the other Warblers all started chattering again in support of helping Blaine. 

“Do you have a song in mind?” David asked.

“Yeah, and we’ve done it before so we should only have to go over it once or twice,” Blaine explained. 

“Ok, let’s take a vote,” Wes stated as he banged his gavel. “All those in favor.”

Every Warbler raised his hand in favor of the proposition.”

“It is decided. We’re taking a field trip to McKinley High first thing in the morning,” Wes smiled. “If there’s no new business, we’ll rehearse the song that-”

“Wait,” Jeff called. “We gotta do something about the rodent.”

“You mean Sebastian?” Wes corrected.

“Same difference,” Jeff smirked. “Banning him from the Warblers isn’t enough. He needs to be put in his place.”

“Agreed,” David said. “But there’s not much we can do without hardcore evidence that he’s the one that created that post on Dalton Underground. Do you have any proof?”

Andrew raised his hand. “We could talk to the people that run Dalton Underground. See if they know who placed the post,” he suggested.

Thad shook his head. “Nobody knows who runs the site. Besides, all you need to post is a Dalton email address, which any Dalton student could have.”

“An email is traceable,” Wes said. “That could help.”

“Only if it was authentic. It’s fairly easy to register for an email address. You just have to request one from the server. It’s automated,” Nick said.

Blaine smiled. “I’ve got that figured out too. I’d appreciate it if nobody said anything to the dean or to Sebastian about anything that we discussed in this meeting. He needs to show up at practice normal tomorrow as if nothing is amiss. He needs to think that he has the upper hand,” Blaine said. 

“What are you going to do?” Wes asked.

“Beat him at his own game,” Blaine said with a smile.

____________________________________________________________________________

As soon as Blaine got back to his room, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He was going to need some help from his friends at McKinley.

 **Blaine:** Tay Tay, can you talk?

 **Tina:** Yeah, but only for a little while. I have to leave in about an hour. Rachel called us for an emergency pampering party for Kurt because he was so broken up about what happened at the Warbler party. 

**Blaine:** Yeah, I know I screwed up, but I didn’t do what he thinks I did.

 **Tina:** Did you have something to do with his breakup with Brittany?

 **Blaine:** Oh, that. Possibly. I walked in on them. 

**Tina:** I don’t even know why Kurt was so broken up over it all. It doesn’t make sense. He never really seemed that interested in her. Did she cheat on him or something?

 **Blaine:** No, not that I know of. Something did happen at the party. But it’s a long story.

 **Tina:** I’ve got time. Spill.

 **Blaine:** I can’t tell you without telling you some things about myself that I haven’t told you yet.

Blaine sent a link to the Dalton Underground post to her.

 **Blaine:** It might be clearer if you just read this. Read the post about me. Then I’ll explain everything.

While he waited for Tina to text him back, he opened up his contacts and found Rachel Berry’s name. He sighed before he started typing.

 **Blaine:** Hey, I need a favor.

 **Rachel** : It depends on what it pertains to. I actually shouldn’t even be fraternizing with the competition so close to Regionals.

 **Blaine** : It’s not about Regionals. It’s about the show Friday night.

 **Rachel** : It’s not running lines, is it? Because my schedule’s pretty full. I have a solo to rehearse that has to be perfect, not to mention I do have other obligations. 

**Blaine** : You know that I know all of my lines. I need you to make sure that Kurt is there, no matter what.

 **Rachel** : Of course he’ll be there. He wouldn’t miss my opening night. 

**Blaine** : Rachel, this isn’t about you. This is really important. I’ve got something big in the works, and he has to be there.

 **Rachel** : I’m not sure why you don’t just ask him if it means that much to you. 

**Blaine** : He may not listen to me. Please. Just promise me that he’ll be there. Even if he’s mad at me. Even if you’re mad at me. 

**Rachel** : Why would he be mad at you? 

**Rachel** : Wait, why would I be mad at you?

 **Blaine** : I’ll explain it all later. I swear. Just promise.

 **Rachel** : If it has anything to do with sabotaging my performance as Maria, it’s a no go.

 **Blaine** : It’s not. I swear.

 **Rachel** : And you know I won’t do anything unethical or illegal.

 **Blaine** : God, Rachel. This is me you’re talking to. It’s not illegal.

 **Rachel** : Ok, fine. Then you have my word. 

Just then, Blaine got an incoming text from Tina.

 **Tina** : Oh my God, Blainey Dayz! Is it true?

 **Blaine:** Yeah. I’m gay.

 **Tina:** When did you realize it?

 **Blaine:** I guess I started suspecting it several years ago.

 **Tina:** Several years ago. Why didn’t you say anything when we met?

 **Blaine** : Because I was scared. It wasn’t just you. I didn’t tell anyone.

 **Tina** : So that’s the reason you told me I wasn’t your type. God, I thought it was because you weren’t attracted to Asian women.

 **Blaine:** Tay Tay, I’m part Asian, remember. LOL. You’re a beautiful girl. I’m just not attracted to women, but I didn’t know how to tell you.

 **Tina:** I wouldn’t have told anybody.

 **Blaine:** I know. I was just scared. I recently told Nick and Jeff, and I was terrified that they wouldn’t accept me.

 **Tina:** They’ll always accept you, Blainey Days, and so will I.

 **Blaine** : I know that now. I think I always did. It was just my own insecurity that kept making me visualize the worst-case scenario in my head. 

**Tina:** So, do your parents know? Have they seen this?

 **Blaine:** They know that I’m gay, but they haven’t seen the post on Dalton Underground. I’m going to show them in a little bit. I’ve barely spoken to them since I told them. Dad was not too happy.

 **Tina:** It’ll be ok. They love you.

 **Tina** : What about the Warblers? 

**Blaine** : They know. They’re supportive. It’s not like McKinley.

 **Blaine** : Have you actually spoken to Kurt since the other night?

 **Tina** : No. I don’t get to talk to him as much now that he’s at Dalton with you.

 **Blaine** : He’s coming back to McKinnley.

 **Tina** : To visit?

 **Blaine** : He’s transferring back.

 **Tina** : WHAT?

 **Tina** : Why the hell would he come back to McKinley? They're horrible to him here.

 **Blaine** : Because he thinks I slept with Sebastian.

 **Tina** : Why would he care if you slept with-

 **Tina** : Holy Shit! He’s Blue! Kurt’s gay?

 **Blaine** : You can’t tell anybody, Tina. He’s not out. He’s not ready. God, I shouldn’t even have told you.

 **Tina** : You didn’t. I guessed. It sounded like him in the messages, and it’s not like I haven’t suspected it. Kurt’s not exactly the masculine type. 

**Tina** : So wait, I still don’t understand. Kurt’s coming back to McKinley because he broke up with Brittany for you, and he thinks you hooked up with Sebastian? 

**Blaine** : I think that about sums it all up. 

**Tina** : Oh my God! No wonder he’s so upset. I better stop and pick him up a cheesecake because Rachel’s vegan substitute just isn’t going to cut it.

 **Tina** : How are you going to fix this?

 **Blaine** : Well, I kind of need your help. 

**Tina** : What do you need me to do?

 **Blaine** : Make sure Kurt’s in the courtyard at eleven. That’s your lunch period, right?

 **Tina** : What are you going to do?

 **Blaine:** You’ll see. Just convince him to go there. Please!

 **Tina** : Alright, but you better hope whatever you’re planning fixes this. Kurt’s my friend, and I hate seeing him upset.

 **Blaine** : Tina, I love him. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.

 **Tina** : Awwwww! Ok. We’ll be out there. See you tomorrow. Good luck!

* * *

“Alright, Tina. What is so important that you dragged us all out here? It’s twenty-five degrees out here,” Kurt whined. Most of the New Directions were seated at the tables as a light snow fell around them. 

“Yeah gurl. Normally, I love eating out here, but it’s winter and this diva’s goin’ back inside to defrost in thirty seconds unless you tell us why you insisted we eat out here in the dead of winter. It’s startin’ to snow, and the moisture ain’t good for my weave,” Mercedes added. 

“Like that’s a bad thing,” Santana retorted. 

“Oh come on, just a few more minutes. It’s so pretty out here,” Tina insisted as her body shook from the cold. 

“Yeah, pretty cold,” Quinn said. ‘I’m going back inside.” 

“Come on, Tina. You’ll catch a cold out here. We can sit by the window,” Mike suggested, taking her tray in his hand. 

“But we can’t. There’s a reason we’re meeting here. There are some people that wanted to speak to you,” Tina said. 

“Excuse me, Kurt.” 

Kurt looked up at the familiar voice, and immediately he felt his heartbeat race at the sight of Blaine and the Warblers. 

Blaine stepped forward and gazed directly at Kurt. “I know you may not want to see me right now, but the Warblers and I have something we really needed you to hear.” 

Kurt wasn’t sure if it was the freezing cold or his emotions causing him to tremble as he heard the familiar harmonies rise into air around them. But Blaine didn’t take the lead. He ran over to Kurt and took his hands in his own. “These words are for you. You deserve to be the one to sing them.”

Kurt opened his mouth and allowed the words to fall from his lips.

.

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_._

The Warblers harmonized with him beautifully, even Blaine, who was looking solely at him. Kurt continued to sing as his mind began thinking of how the song really fit the moment. When he left Dalton, he had believed that he was leaving so that he could go back to a place where he could be himself. 

But he wasn’t himself. He was a shell of himself when he was at McKinley because he had been pretending the whole time. 

_._

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these sunken eyes and learn to see_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to be free_

_Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly_

_._

At this point, several of the New Directions members had tears dripping from their eyes. Kurt began to feel a myriad of emotions flood over him as tears began sliding from his eyes as well. It was the moment of clarity. 

.

_Into the light of the dark black night_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_._

He was like that blackbird, wings clipped and trapped in the darkness of a lie that he no longer wanted to be chained by. He wanted to feel free. He wanted to soar, and he couldn’t do that in the dark skies that McKinley provided for him. 

But Dalton was its own prison in a sense. It was safer with its no-bullying policy, and he had the Warblers. But did he really? Would they still accept him if they knew that he was gay? 

Kurt’s thoughts were interrupted by Blaine’s voice. He blinked his eyes and looked at the soloist. 

“Kurt, we want you to know that we respect your decision to go to whichever school you feel is the right place for you. But we also want you to know that we want you to come back. You wrote in your letters that you felt alone and overwhelmed. And even though you were a part of us, you said you never really felt like you fit in. But you did. You fit in a way that no one else could. It was as if we were a puzzle and you were the missing piece. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have found our final number, and we can’t sing it without you. You complete us, Kurt. You’re one of us, and we just wanted you to know that.”

Kurt’s eyes began to tear up again. “I appreciate this, but I don’t know which letters you are referring to,” Kurt said, his voice quivering.

“I know who you are,” Blaine said softly so only Kurt could hear. “I know and so do they, and it’s ok.”

Kurt looked over at Jeff, who was staring intensely at the ground as if he knew that Kurt had figured out who had told Blaine. Jeff had told Blaine and the Warblers.

“Look, I don’t know what you were led to believe, but I’m not the person that wrote those letters,” Kurt said, his eyes shifting toward the now snowy ground. 

“What letters?” Finn asked.

“I’m learning all my letters, but I still get mixed up on m and n” Brittany commented.

Santana smiled and shook her head at Brittany. 

Jeff and Nick stepped forward. “Kurt, it’s ok. Please come back. We need you. We need you for Regionals and I miss my roommate.”

Kurt shook his head. “I’ve made my decision. Dalton isn’t the right place for me. Yeah, McKinley isn’t as fancy, with it’s blazers and its spiral staircase, but I’m accepted here.” 

“Are you really?” Blaine asked. Rachel was eyeing them suspiciously, trying to figure out what they were saying.

Kurt’s lip quivered. “Yes. Thank you for the song. It was beautiful. As for the solo and the medley, I’m sorry that I can’t sing it at Regionals with you, but I’m sure that one of your other talented guys would like to sing it. I swear that I won’t tell them about it,” Kurt chuckled lightly, motioning toward the New Directions. “I appreciate it all, but I know you guys must get back to Dalton. I know that the instructors don’t take too kindly to students skipping class.”

“Kurt, please,” Blaine said in a whispered plea.

“Goodbye, Blaine,” Kurt said coolly. “I’ll see you at Regionals.” With that, he turned around abruptly and rejoined his friends in the courtyard, not looking back at them once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions.


	14. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine confronts Sebastian. Blaine posts a message to Blue on Dalton Underground.

**Chapter 14**

“What the hell!” Thad exclaimed as they climbed back into his Navigator. “You said he’d love it. He looked like he wanted to claw your eyes out.”

“He’s still mad at me because he thinks I slept with Sebastian. I haven’t had the chance to tell him otherwise, and I don’t think he’d be receptive right now if I tried talking to him any more than I did.”

David sighed. “So this was all for nothing.”

“It wasn’t the best-case scenario, but it wasn’t all for nothing,” Blaine replied. “I had a feeling he might not be too receptive.”

Wes shook his head in confusion. “Why?”

“He’s scared. He’s not ready to be completely out,” Blaine explained. “At McKinley, he feels like most people still believe he’s straight. I’m sure he thinks that people at Dalton have put two and two together and figured out that he’s Blue. At McKinley, people don’t know what happened here, and so he probably feels it will be easier there.”

Blaine felt his phone vibrate. Tina was texting him.

 **Tina** : Kurt is pissed. He won’t tell me why, but he’s not happy that you came here today.

 **Blaine** : I thought he might be. 

**Tina** : Wait. You knew he’d be mad? Then why did you come?

 **Blaine** : Because he needed to see that the people at McKinley aren’t his only friends, and it’s not his only option. 

**Tina** : I wish you would’ve told me this before. He’s giving me his Bitch face, and I’m not looking forward to glee practice later.

 **Blaine** : Sigh. I’m not either. I’m going to have an unpleasant encounter of my own.

 **Tina** : With Sebastian? 

**Blaine** : Yes.

 **Tina** : Are you going to go to the headmaster?

 **Blaine** : Yes, but not yet.

 **Tina** : Why?

 **Blaine** : Because I want him off of his guard. He needs to think that this whole thing has broken me.

 **Tina** : Be careful, Blainey Days.

* * *

When Sebastian walked into the Warbler’s practice room, he glanced around, surprised that the room was nearly empty except for Blaine who was sitting at the piano with his phone in his hand reading something. 

“Hey Blaine. Did practice get canceled? I didn’t see an email from the council.” Sebastian said casually.

“You didn’t get the texts?”

“What texts?” Sebastian questioned.

”Trent accidentally grabbed a muffin with walnuts this morning, and he had an allergic reaction. They had to take him to the emergency room,” Blaine explained. 

“Oh, that sucks. Did they have to jab that monstrous needle into his thigh again, because that was actually kinda cool.”

“It’s an Epi-Pen, and he’s going to be ok. But they canceled practice today. I just thought I’d get in some reading while I waited to hear about his condition.”

“So you’re feeling better. I wondered since you bailed on me Saturday night after I helped you out the night before.”

“Helped me? Cameron told me how you helped me by making a big scene. You wanted to make sure people saw us leave together,” Blaine said dryly.

“I was trying to help you. You were pretty wasted. I was just being a good wingman. I could’ve used one of those Saturday instead of you hanging me out to dry. I could've left with some dignity instead of being the laughing stock of Dalton.”

“You’re the laughing stock of Dalton? You posted mine and Blue’s messages! You outed me!” Blaine yelled.

“I did what I said I’d do. You did not uphold your end of the bargain. I was supposed to get a solo and a wingman. What I got was a tired Beatles number with gayface and someone that flaked out on me when I needed him the most,” Sebastian spat. 

“The medley is amazing, and you didn’t deserve a solo. You were lucky to get what you got. As for Saturday night, I told you I was leaving. I even paid for the driver to take you home. It’s not my fault that you got smashed and didn’t pay attention to who you put your dick inside. Why don’t you take responsibility for your actions for once?” Blaine shouted.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Sebastian said sadly. “I looked out for you when you got drunk. I kept you from doing something stupid. You and Cameron were pretty wasted that night. I didn’t want you to do something that you’d regret so I didn’t let you.”

“Don’t pretend that you care,” Blaine replied, crossing his arms across his body defensively. 

“I did. I do. Did it ever occur to you that what I really wanted from all of this was a friend? I saw what you had with Duval and Sterling. It was like the gay musketeers, or maybe more like the rainbow musketeers or whatever the hell you want to call it. The point is that you three watch out for each other. You listen to one another and stick up for each other. Did you ever stop and think that maybe I just wanted in?”

Blaine’s head shot up in surprise. “Friends? Friends don’t blackmail each other. Friends don’t purposefully manipulate and hurt each other,” Blaine responded his cheeks fiery red and his eyes smoldering intensely. 

“Would you have helped me if I hadn’t?” Sebastian asked then shook his head. “Don’t even answer that question because I can tell from the look on your face that you had no intention of helping me. I backed you into a corner so you did what you had to do to shut me up.”

Blaine was furious now. “I would’ve been your friend. I tried to be.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “You preferred to talk to an absolute stranger instead of me. You knew nothing about him, and you bared your soul. All you bared to me was your teeth.”

“Because I could never figure out your angle. I never felt comfortable letting my guard down because you never proved to me that you could be trusted,” Blaine shouted back, his arms crossed and his fingers digging into his own arms so that he drew blood. “From the very beginning, you were always trying to manipulate me. Blue never did that.”

Sebastian was pissed now. “Are you kidding?” he spat. “He manipulated you worse than I did. You think you can trust Hummel. Hell, you were about to declare your undying devotion to him while he was rounding second base with his ditzy girlfriend. He’s never gonna come out even though no one believes he’s straight. And his little pathetic messages were just an excuse to whine about it.”

“Our private conversations are none of your business. My sexuality is none of your business. MY LIFE is none of your business because you and I are NOT FRIENDS!”

“As you made clear,” Sebastian said. “Look, I got outed as well. My face was plastered all over newspapers throughout Ohio. The whole world knows I’m gay now too. Why are you so pissy about all of this?” 

“BECAUSE THIS WAS MY COMING OUT!” Blaine shouted. “This was my moment. I was supposed to get to decide when and to whom, but you took that. You stole that from me, and now Kurt left Dalton, and he won’t talk to me. I lost someone I loved because you were embarrassed because you made some bad choices. You were hurting, so you decided to hurt me too!”

“Hey, what going on in here?” Wes asked, running between the two quarreling boys. Thad and David entered the room right behind the head Warbler. 

“Blaine’s spazzing out on me because he got outed. Like it was my fault or something,” Sebastian said, crossing his arms. “By the way, I never got the group texts canceling practice.”

“That’s because you are no longer a Warbler,” Thad retorted. “And don’t even think of auditioning again. You are barred from any Warbler events for life.

“Boo freakin’ Hoo. Like I wanted to attend your lame ass parties,” Sebastian said, rolling his eyes. “Good luck getting it to stick. You have no real basis for kicking me out.”

“You blackmailed Blaine for a solo,” David replied.

Sebastian crossed his arm defensively. “I’d like to see you prove that.”

“We have all the proof we need,” Jeff said emerging from behind the drapes holding his iPhone. I got the whole exchange on video, as did Nick. And I just emailed it to the dean. Now, get your rodent face out of here before we have to sterilize the place,” the blonde added.

“This isn’t over,” Sebastian hissed as he stormed through the doorway.

“It is as far as I’m concerned,” Jeff said, slamming the door shut and hitting Sebastian in the ass. “And stay out!” Nick surged forward and kissed Jeff hard on the mouth. “And that’s why I love you.”

Wes’ mouth dropped open in shock. “Holy shit! You guys were serious earlier? God, I gotta start staying at the parties. Apparently I missed a lot. So you two?”

Nick blushed as he took Jeff’s hand in his. “We’re together.”

“Wes said shit,” Jeff grinned. “I didn’t know that word was even in his vocabulary.”

“Damn! I guess the rumors weren’t too far off if Nick, Jeff, Blaine, Sebastian, Kurt, and Trent are all gay. Wes, you got a guy on the side you’re shackin’ up with?” David chuckled.

“I’m not gay,” Jeff declared. “I’m actually bisexual. And Nick here is pansexual.”

“Meaning?” Thad questioned, furrowing his brow.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here and get a coffee in the lounge. I’ll explain it to you on the way,” Blaine smiled. 

* * *

Blaine collapsed onto his bed and grabbed his laptop from the nightstand. The last few days had been exhausting, and he had barely slept. He was just about to open his laptop when his phone started vibrating. He picked it up and read the message. 

**Tina:** Kurt came out today.

 **Blaine:** What?

 **Tina:** He was wearing a flannel shirt like he’s been wearing lately, but when he pulled it open, it had LIKES BOYS on it. He sang Born This Way. It was amazing.

 **Tina:** Then, he told all of us in glee that he was tired of hiding it. He told us not to spread it around outside of the glee club, but it’s a step, right?

 **Blaine:** :) I was hoping he would. I could see it written on his face the other day. He wanted to say it, but he was scared. 

**Tina:** I talked to him afterward. It was intense. 

**Tina** : He told me he was Blue, and about Tony, well you, and why he acted the way he did when you sang to him. 

**Blaine:** He was scared, right?

 **Tina:** He was really pissed.

 **Blaine:** Pissed? Why?

 **Tina:** Why haven’t you told him that you didn’t sleep with Sebastian.

 **Blaine:** Did you tell him?

 **Tina:** No. Because it’s not my place. 

**Tina** : I answered your question. Now, answer mine. Why?

 **Blaine:** I tried. His email was deleted, and when we came to your school, he didn’t want to talk to me.

 **Blaine** : I tried texting too, but he never replied. I called and left messages but he didn’t return my calls. 

**Blaine:** And I couldn’t in the courtyard without outing him. Mentioning the letters was pushing it, but I wanted him to know that I knew.

 **Tina:** Which of the Warblers is Jeff, because you need to warn him not to eat the next tin of cookies Kurt sends.

 **Blaine:** Jeff is the thin one with the bleached blonde hair. They were roommates. 

**Blaine:** He was the guy that told me that Kurt was Blue.

 **Blaine:** But I kinda suspected it before the party.

 **Blaine:** But then I found him making out with Brittney at the party, and I thought he was straight again.

 **Tina:** I read some of your messages.

 **Blaine:** Um, I don’t know how I feel about that. 

**Tina:** Actually, they were really sweet.

 **Tina:** Although I don’t understand why you didn’t just ask me about Kurt. He gave you some pretty obvious clues.

 **Tina:** Especially when he mentioned shopping. 

**Tina:** And his skincare routine

 **Tina:** And his love of the Beatles

 **Blaine:** Ok, ok. Rub it in. You know him better than I do.

 **Tina:** So why didn’t you ask me?

 **Blaine:** I have several reasons.

 **Blaine:** The first one is the most obvious. I didn’t want to out him.

 **Tina:** I wouldn’t have said anything.

 **Blaine:** Not on purpose.

 **Tina: :(** Are you trying to call me a gossip?

 **Blaine:** I’m not trying. I’m pretty sure I just did.

 **Blaine:** But I love you. :^D

 **Blaine:** And I didn’t ask anybody. The only person that knew about our messages was Nick and Sebastian. 

**Blaine:** I didn’t actually tell Sebastian. He went snooping on my computer.

 **Blaine:** And I accidentally thought Nick was Blue.

 **Tina:** Which one is Nick again?

 **Blaine:** My roommate and Jeff’s boyfriend.

 **Tina:** OMG. I just spit out my coffee. 

**Tina:** Both Nick and Jeff are gay?

 **Blaine:** No, actually. Jeff is bi and Nick is pan.

 **Tina:** Damn, my gaydar is worse than I thought. 

**Blaine:** Mine is too. I thought they were all straight as well. 

**Tina:** Why are all the sweet and gorgeous guys gay?

 **Blaine:** Mike’s straight.

 **Tina** : Thank God. It wouldn’t be fair if you got all the good ones. 

**Tina:** But I meant Kurt and you.

 **Blaine:** You had a crush on Kurt.

 **Tina:** Have you seen that boy’s hair and his ass in those jeans?

 **Blaine:** Uh, yeah. :^O

 **Tina:** This is so cool. We can discuss hot guys together now.

 **Tina:** And we can go shopping together.

 **Blaine:** Um, I’m ok with the hot guy talk, but if you’re anything like Kurt when you shop, no thanks.

 **Tina:** I’m not as fanatical as Kurt. That boy is intense when he shops. 

**Blaine:** That’s like saying the Titanic was a yacht.

 **Tina** : What other reasons did you have for not telling me?

 **Blaine:** I was afraid you’d tell me it wasn’t him.

 **Tina:** Huh?

 **Blaine:** Every time I responded to one of his messages, I pictured him. I wanted it to be him.

 **Tina:** AWWWWWW! You really like him.

 **Blaine:** No. I love him.

 **Tina:** :^D Then, you need to tell him.

 **Blaine:** I’ve tried.

 **Tina:** If at first, you don’t succeed-

 **Blaine:** You failed.

 **Tina:** Haha. Very funny.

 **Tina:** Try, try again. 

**Tina;** Come on, Blainey Days. You don’t give up easily on anything. Why should this be any different?

 **Tina** : In fact, I’m convinced you shouldn’t.

 **Blaine:** And why is that?

 **Tina:** Because I think he loves you too. 

**Tina:** I mean, he told you he had a crush on you in your messages. 

**Tina:** And he gets this goofy happy look when he talks about you.

 **Tina:** Even when he’s pissed at you.

 **Blaine:** So what do you suggest?

 **Tina:** You need to go back to where it all started.

 **Blaine:** Meaning:

 **Tina:** Dalton Underground

 **Blaine:** He’s not a student here anymore.

 **Tina:** He doesn’t have to be in order to read a post, just to create one. Right?

 **Blaine:** Tay Tay, you’re a genius.

 **Tina:** Kind of stating the obvious here. 

**Tina:** Night Blaine.

 **Blaine:** Night.

Although he was exhausted, he sprung up and grabbed his laptop. He opened it and immediately navigated to Dalton Underground. He hit the post icon and immediately started composing a post. 

**To the person who posted my private emails onto this site, I know who you are, and you are nothing but a coward. I hope you got some sort of satisfaction out of it because you just screwed yourself. Everyone sees your true colors now.**

**To my friends and fellow Warblers. I’m sorry I wasn’t being honest. I was terrified. I still am, but I’m hoping that you, my Dalton brothers, will accept me for who I really am because I don’t want to hide anymore. I’m gay. I’m gay, and I’m proud of who I am. This is me.**

**To Blue. I’m sorry. I know you might see this as a betrayal. I promise I never meant for you to get hurt in all of this. The truth is, I never want to let anything hurt you. You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. Our messages changed my perception of who I am and how I live my life. My life improved once you became a part of it.**

**You see, when we first started this, it was nice to have someone to confide in, someone who understood me without ever passing judgment or making me feel inferior. You know that I don’t need any help in that area.**

**You gave me something I needed more than anything. A safe place. I’ve never felt so accepted as I did when we were emailing one another. As a performer, we open ourselves to be judged and ridiculed by our audience, to make everyone laugh even though we’re falling apart from the inside out. But I never had to perform for you. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could just be myself.**

**At the same time, I’m relieved this all happened because not getting to talk to you face to face was beginning to eat away at me inside. I found that the more you revealed about yourself, the more that I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything, the things I could only learn from seeing you face to face. I want to see your smile when I compliment you. I want to discover if you make little noises when you eat your favorite dessert. God, I just long to hear your voice.**

**I’m sorry if this is all too deep for you, but that’s where I am. I’m in deep. Somewhere along the way of getting to know you, I fell in love with you. I know this goes against every guideline we set up from the beginning, but I’m beginning to learn that nothing ventured is nothing gained. So I’m taking a risk. I’m declaring this to you and everybody, and I hope that you feel the same way.**

**You once told me that you felt like you were constantly on stage, expected to perform for those around, destined to live a lie. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You’re like a bird, once injured so that you couldn’t fly, and now you’re afraid to take flight again. But I know you can do it. You are much stronger and more courageous than you give yourself credit for.**

**If you are willing to show that courage that I know is deeply ingrained in you, I hope that you will do something for me. This Friday is the premiere of West Side Story at seven o’clock at the Westerville Center for the Performing Arts. I want to meet you on the stage behind the curtain at 6:30. I know you’re scared, but I’ve never known you to back down from anything. This is your chance, our chance, to show all those small-minded people that it doesn’t matter if they are yelling in your face or whispering behind your back. They can’t touch you. They can’t touch us, or what we have.**

**We’ve once said that everyone deserves a love story, and this is ours. This is our chance. Join me on stage and we can begin writing ours now.**

**Love,**

**Blaine (Tony) Anderson**

Blaine sighed as he closed his laptop and sat it back on the nightstand. There was nothing left he could do but get some sleep and hope that Kurt would read the message. 


	15. Blue Who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine talks to his father about his sexuality. Blaine gets ready to meet Blue on stage before the show, but Blue may not be who he thought he was.

**Chapter 15**

“Hey, nice job, Anderson. I’ve purchased tickets for the Westside Story show tomorrow. You know, to show my support for you and your mysterious messenger,” said one of his fencing teammates as they approached one another in the hallway.

“Yeah, that was some romantic shi-stuff you wrote, man,” added a jock from the lacrosse team. “Good luck landing your dude, and all.”

The response to his post on Dalton Underground had garnered attention from his classmates and his instructors alike, most of them extremely supportive. Normally that kind of approval and attention was something he craved, but right now all that mattered was that he still had heard nothing from Blue. 

Even though he had thought about texting Kurt or even calling him, he decided against it. He didn’t want to badger or harass Kurt, and he knew that it might actually help him to have some space. Hell, he may not even have seen the message yet. Tina assured him that she’d make sure that Kurt knew about it, but that didn’t mean Kurt had read it. And even if he had, it didn’t mean that Kurt would be there. He had every right to be angry at him, and Blaine knew that there was a chance that Kurt wouldn’t show on Friday. 

Blaine sighed as he continued down the hallway. His final class was over for the day, and he had a few hours before Warbler’s practice. He was in such a distracted state of mind when he reached the end of the hall, he didn’t even see the man seated by his door. He fumbled with his keycard when he heard a familiar sound.

“Ahem.” Kyle Anderson cleared his voice and stood from his fold-out chair. Blaine was unsure how long his father had been waiting there for him. “Blaine, may I come in?”

Blaine nodded as he scanned his card and opened his door. “Is everything ok? You never visit me here,” Blaine asked, as his father followed him inside. 

Kyle looked directly into Blaine’s eyes. “How long? How long have you been aware that you were gay?” Kyle looked as if he was about to burst into tears.

“Um, I guess I knew for certain in junior high, when I was thirteen, although I’d started questioning my sexuality a little before that,” Blaine replied as he pulled out his desk chair for his father and sat down across from him in Nick’s. 

“Four years,” Kyle muttered. “Four years of you hearing me make insensitive comments and jokes. Four years that you had to be worried about if you would have support from me. No wonder you didn’t tell us,” Kyle sobbed as he hung his head in shame. 

“It’s ok, dad,” Blaine assured his father, patting his knee.

Kyle shook his head and looked into his son’s eyes. “It isn’t. I’m your father, and it’s my job to support you and help you find your way in life. I was trying to push you to follow the same path that I took. No wonder you went to Cooper and your friends instead of me.”

“You wanted me to be successful. There’s nothing wrong with that. As for the jokes and comments, I knew you weren’t really comfortable around gay people. I’ve seen you around Rachel’s dads. I knew you didn’t quite get it, but you were never cruel to them. I was never afraid that you were homophobic or anything.”

“Then, why didn’t you say anything?”

Blaine dropped his gaze down to the floor. “I don’t ever want to disappoint you,” Blaine admitted.

“You never have,” Kyle replied, smiling. “But that’s not the point. I want you to be who you are, not to pretend to be who you think I want you to be. Yes, it would’ve been nice if you had followed in my footsteps, but not at the expense of your happiness. You have to pursue your own dreams.”

“So wait. You would be ok if I went to performing arts school?” Blaine asked.

Kyle nodded his head. “If that’s your dream, then I’d be more than ok with it. What I’m not ok with-” 

Blaine held his breath, waiting for his dad to say that he wasn’t ok with his sexuality.

“-is you denying yourself from achieving happiness because you thought I would not be ok with part of who you are. About this gay thing-”

Blaine dropped his head, his eyes shifting to the carpet as if he were trying to commit the design to memory. 

“I know you know that I’ve been a little uncomfortable with it, but that’s my issue, not yours. You are my son, and I support you regardless. And when you meet someone, as long as he treats you with the respect you deserve, I’ll show him the same respect.”

Blaine’s eyes filled with tears at his father’s words. “Thank you. Thank you so much,” Blaine said, standing from his chair as his father stood from his.

Kyle shook his head. “Don’t thank me. I’m your father. It’s what I’m supposed to do. And I’m sorry for making you think that I wouldn’t still love you if you did find a guy you love.”

Blaine opened his arms and hugged his father tightly. “About that. How do you know if you’re in love?”

“You think of that person before you think of yourself, and their happiness is more important than your own. Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure I’m in love,” Blaine smiled. 

“Well then, I’d like to meet him,” Kyle smiled softly.

“Well, it’s a little complicated at the moment. He’s not really talking to me right now.”

Kyle frowned. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s a really long story,” Blaine replied.

Kyle sat back down in his chair and motioned for Blaine to do the same. “I’ve got time. Tell me about him.”

* * *

“Oh my God, what if he doesn’t show,” Blaine worried as he checked his pocket watch for the fifth time since he had arrived backstage. He fumbled to put his watch back into his pocket, only to start pacing again.

“He’s going to show. He promised he’d be here, but he doesn’t have my same dedication to punctuality,” Rachel sighed. “He’s making me crazy,” she said to Nick and Jeff as she walked over to her makeup table. “I’ve never seen him like this. Oh God, what if he’s still all anxious and says his lines incorrectly, and I have to come up with something off the top of my head? What if he shimmies left instead of to the right and slams into me? This is my opening night. What if he screws it up?”

Jeff stage whispered to Nick, “She’s worried he’ll drive her crazy, but as far as I’m concerned that car’s already arrived and receiving parking tickets.”

Nick chuckled. “I’ll see if I can calm him down a little. You look out for the director and that saucy Latina girl that plays Anita. She said something about going all Lima Heights on my prep school ass, and I think she means it.”

Jeff gave Nick a sweet peck on the lips and slapped his boyfriend’s ass. “Can’t have that, now can we? I’ll remind Andrew that he’s supposed to be saving us both a seat. It’s filling up pretty quickly in the auditorium. It might be a packed house.”

Nick walked over to Blaine and patted his shoulder. Blaine leaped and screamed in surprise and dropped his pocket watch to the ground for the second time that night. “Damn, are you that nervous? I’ve never seen you this rattled before a performance,” he said, pulling out a chair for Blaine and motioning for him to sit. He pulled one up across from Blaine and placed his hand on Blaine’s shoulder again to comfort him. 

“It’s not the performance, Nick. What if he’s decided not to come? Or what if he does come, and he sits in the audience and never gets the nerve to come back here to meet me?” Blaine’s hands were shaking and his left foot was tapping against the floor. “Or what if he stays in his seat and laughs at me when I fumble all of my lines?” 

“And what if he turns into a baboon and jumps on the stage and carries that loud brunette off to the justice of the peace or aliens land on the roof?” Nick adds.

Blaine rolled his eyes at Nick’s crazy suggestion. 

“What I’m trying to say is that a lot of things could happen, but it’s worth the risk. Besides, Blue told you himself that he has feelings for you. He may not be ready yet, but even if he doesn’t show tonight, it doesn’t mean you should give up hope. Remember what you always say,” Nick grinned.

“Which is?” Blaine questioned, cocking his head sideways. 

“Um, you know, what you always say, about looking on the sunny side,” Nick sputtered.

“I never say that. That’s Johnny Cash, and I in no way resemble him or sound like him,” Blaine laughed. 

“Well, it’s something optimistic like that,” Nick laughed.

“It’s when it rains it pours, but the sun shines again. Stay positive. Better things are on their way,” Blaine replied, laughing at his goofy friend. “You’re right. I just want him to be here, to meet me on this stage and tell me that he forgives me and he loves me too, and that we can be boyfriends and move to New York together when we both get into NYADA or Julliard before we take Broadway by storm and become the next Broadway IT couple,” Blaine rambled excitedly, his hands motioning frantically. 

“How ‘bout you get through this performance first,” Nick laughed. “But that’s a beautiful dream, and I know it will all work out. I gotta go find our seats, man. Break an egg, man.”

“It’s leg,” Blaine retorted, laughing at his friend.

“I know. I just wanted to break the tension. You’re going to be an incredible Tony.”

“Kurt would’ve been an incredible Tony. I wish he would’ve gotten the role instead of me,” Blaine said sadly. “I wouldn’t blame him for not coming tonight.”

“He’ll be here,” Nick assured his friend with a pat on the shoulder. “Rachel said he’d be here. Alright, I really gotta get out there before I lose my seat. Andrew’s saving it right now but you know he’d give it up in a heartbeat if some pretty girl asks to sit there.”

Blaine laughed. “Andrew? You had Andrew watch your seats? God, he’s probably got a chick on each side of him. You're going to have to sit on the floor.” 

Nick laughed and stuck out his fist. “Knock ‘em dead, man. You’ve got this. It’ll all work out,” he said, fist-bumping his best friend. “I’ll see you after the show.”

“Blaine, ten minutes until showtime,” the stage manager called out. 

Blaine shook his head. He wasn’t coming. Kurt wasn’t-

“Ahem.” That was such a familiar sound. Blaine turned around and was face to face with Sebastian.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Blaine angrily asked the smug former Warbler. “I thought you were expelled.”

“For what? Admitting that I posted a message on a website? I apologized, got a couple of in-school suspensions so it didn’t go on my record, and here we are,” Sebastian replied smugly.

Blaine shook his head. “Of course. I should’ve known that you’d get a slap on the wrist.”

“Could it be from you? I like a little pain in the heat of passion,” Sebastian smirked. “To answer your question, I’m here because you owe me a thank you.”

“Excuse me? Whatever the hell for?” asked Blaine, scratching his head in confusion. “For blackmailing me, outing me, causing Blue to leave Dalton? Which of those things should I thank you for?”

“All of them,” Sebastian replied. “The way I figure, if I hadn’t taken those actions, your pansy-ass would have still been in the closet, clueless as to who you were messaging, that is, if he decided to continue messaging you. As for the blackmail, you got a makeover, met some fellow gays, loosened up a little bit, and gained respect from your fellow Warblers. Not too shabby if I do say myself.”

“Um, thank you,” Blaine mumbled, clearly confused by the points Sebastian had made. 

“Now, see, was that really so bad?” Sebastian grinned like a cat that caught the mouse by the tail and was now just playing with his meal. 

“Excruciating,” Blaine replied.

“Although, I believe you could do so much better. We could go the physical route, if you prefer, and you can thank me in a variety of ways.”

“Hell no,” Blaine blurted, shaking his head, “Unless a jab to your nose counts. Then, I’d be happy to oblige.”

“Fine, fine. I guess your pitiful excuse for an apology will have to suffice for now,” Sebastian chuckled. 

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Good, because that’s all you’re getting. Now, could you please go? I’m waiting for Blue.”

“Oh, yes, Blue. Aka Gayface, aka Skirt Hummel. Yeah, he’s not coming.”

“And how the hell would you know that,” Blaine yelled.

“Because he isn’t Blue,” Sebastian said simply.

Blaine cocked his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah. Then who is?”

“I am. I’m Blue.”


	16. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue has to decide whether he wants to reveal who he is.

**Chapter 16**

“I am. I’m Blue,” Sebastian said.

“Yeah, whatever,” Blaine rolled his eyes. “There’s no way you’re him.”

“Oh yeah? And why is that? Think of what you know about him. He has a stepmother and a stepbrother. So do I. My brother is a trophy son, his father’s chosen heir, and I’m shipped off to boarding school. I’m well-read, fluent in French, musically talented, athletic, and gay.”

“You’re lying,” Blaine said through gritted teeth. “If you were Blue, why would you post our messages?” 

“Because Dalton is the most mind-numbing, boring place I’ve ever been to, and Westerville is a cowtown. Maybe I needed something to keep me entertained.”

Blaine took a deep breath as he felt his whole body shaking. “No, it doesn’t make sense. He posted first. He had no idea it was me that was going to reply.”

“There weren’t very many other options of who would reply. There was you, your roommate, bleach blonde, and gayface. If it had been gayface, I would’ve shut it down before it started. And if it were one of your two buddies, they would’ve eventually clued you into what they were doing. It was simple, really,” Sebastian explained.

“You really are an asshole,” Blaine said, crossing his arms. 

“What? No love declaration? No kiss?”

“No,” Blaine stated simply. “Because you’re lying through your teeth.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Your father isn’t a mechanic,” Blaine stated simply.

“He could be a mechanic. He likes to work on cars in his spare time.”

“If you’re Blue, why would you make jab after jab about yourself?” Blaine inquired, tapping his fingers with his chin.

“To throw you off. Besides, I wanted to see what you really thought of me when you thought your words were private. Harsh, buddy. I’m not all that bad. You do love me after all.”

“There’s no way you’re him. He’s compassionate, witty, intelligent, confident, and intriguing. You are an egotistical, manipulative, smug, elitist jerk. Now, get out of here.”

“Fine, maybe I’m not Blue. But I’m not leaving. I got shortchanged in our deal, and I at least deserve an apology, especially after you called me out like that on Dalton Underground and tried to get me suspended,” Sebastian hissed as he stepped in toward Blaine so that there was hardly any space between them.

“Excuse me,” a familiar voice interrupted. The fair-skinned boy stared directly in Sebastian’s face. “I believe you’re in my spot.”

“Pardon me, mademoiselle, but I believe that your spot is in a vintage toy store with the other Cabbage Patch dolls,” Sebastian snarked, glaring at Kurt.

“And I believe that your spot is in that giant rat trap I saw near the broom closet. I fear it may be a tad small for vermin of your size, but we can set you up with three or four of them. That should certainly liven your night, since you’re so bored and all,” Kurt grinned widely. “Now, kindly see yourself out or I’ll alert the security guard to call animal control on you.”

Blaine bit his lip to try to prevent the laugh that eventually escaped from his lips as Sebastian stormed off, his face red with anger at being bested by Kurt. 

“I thought you weren’t going to come,” Blaine smiled softly. 

“I thought about it, but I promised Rachel I’d be here on her opening night. Besides, it’s West Side Story, and I heard the guy playing Tony is incredible,” Kurt grinned. “Plus, there was this guy that posted on Dalton Underground that practically invited me to star in my own love story. I didn’t see that as an offer I could refuse.”

“Look, Kurt, I wanted you to know that night at the party, what you saw with Sebastian- There was and never will be anything between us,” Blaine explained, taking Kurt’s hand in his. 

Kurt nodded. “That was made apparent by the exchange you two just had. I’m not usually an eavesdropper, but since I heard someone else claim to be me, I wanted to see how you’d respond.”

“Was it satisfactory?” Blaine asked, shrugging his shoulders and grinning wildly despite his attempt to stop the smile from spreading.

Kurt wrinkled his nose. “Well, I guess,” Kurt flirted. “So, how about you tell me the other reason I’m here behind the stage being glared at by an angry Rachel Berry,” Kurt said, motioning toward the door that was ajar. Sure enough, Rachel was glaring at them both through the doorway.

“Blaine, the curtain is about to go up, and the director is about to lose her mind if you don’t join us for our customary show circle. Hey Kurt,” she waved.

“Tell her he’ll be there in just a minute if you would allow us a moment of privacy,” Kurt smiled.

“Fine, but any longer than a minute and I’ll get her to come shoo you out of here,” Rachel teased. 

“So, why am I here?” Kurt smiled.

“Because I have a proposition for you. You said you auditioned for Tony, and you wanted a chance to shine. Now, I know that you haven’t worked on this production, so you can’t just fall in, although I think you’d make an amazing Tony, but you could join me, onstage, after the show.”

Kurt looked at Blaine in absolute confusion. “Um, why?”

“To make a statement. To show the director and the audience that you are the leading man that I already know you are. And to tell everyone that you’re Blue.”

“Blaine,” Kurt bit his lip. “Look, meeting you back here is one thing but I’m not ready to-”

Blaine took Kurt’s hands in his. “If you wait for the perfect moment, it’ll never come. You have to make your own. Just think about it. Please,” Blaine begged.

“Alright, Anderson, I know you’re having a heart to heart, but if you don’t get that perky ass out there in one minute, Shelby is going to put your understudy on,” the stage manager warned.

Blaine nodded. “I’m coming. Kurt, you better find your seat. Just think about it. Please.”

Kurt sighed but shook his head. “I just don’t know. I’ll think about it. Go out there and give it your best. You’re going to be amazing,” Kurt smiled. 

“Thank you,” Blaine grinned. “Think about it ok.”

Kurt bit his bottom lip and nodded and waved shyly at Blaine. Then, he exited the backstage area and went out to the auditorium to find his seat, his heart racing from the thought of what Blaine wanted him to do. He wanted him to come out in front of the entire school. No way. He wasn’t ready. He wasn’t. 

Or was he? He thought back to Monday when he and the Warblers sang Blackbird and the way the lyrics had spoken to him. He remembered how Tony, well Blaine, had explained that those lyrics were written to inspire people during the civil rights movement. He thought back to when Blaine was speaking passionately in their messages about his dream for them to celebrate during the pride parade, hand in hand, not caring what anyone else had to say. 

Kurt sat back in his chair as the curtains rose, his stomach in knots, hoping that Blaine would change his mind. 

* * *

Kurt clapped his hands wildly with pride as Rachel and Blaine joined hands and took a bow as the crowd cheered and applauded. Blaine gestured for Rachel to take one more bow. Afterward, she motioned for him to do the same. However, as he stepped forward, the rest of the cast cleared the stage and the lights dimmed down so the spotlight shown only on Blaine. 

“Good evening. Thank you so much for coming to our opening night. It was a pleasure performing for you. I think I speak for the whole cast when I say that there is nothing like performing in front of an audience.”

The crowd was deathly silent as Blaine continued to thank various people for their help with the show. Kurt sighed in relief. Maybe Blaine would let it go.

“And lastly, I wanted to thank all of you that came to support me. Some of you may have no idea what I’m referring to, but a few weeks ago I read something that changed my life.”

Or maybe not. Kurt squirmed in his seat as Blaine continued. 

“Someone, who went by the name Blue, posted on a website about how he was living his life like a performance, pretending to be something he wasn’t in fear of judgement and ridicule. He admitted to living a lie and longing for someone to talk to, someone who understood. Thankfully, a friend,” Blaine smiled as his eyes found Jeff in the crowd, “told me about the post, and I replied, because I felt the exact same way. We shared the same fears and the same secret.”

Blaine continued, looking past everyone else in the crowd until his eyes landed upon Kurt. “It’s not a secret anymore for me. Although I was outed, I’m so glad now that I can just be myself openly, and I found that those who loved me still love me just as much. I don’t have to hide anymore, and for the first time in forever, I feel like I’m free, like a bird ready to take flight and never look back. But I don’t want to make that flight alone.”

Blaine stepped toward the edge of the stage. “Blue.” Kurt scrunched up in his seat, his stomach feeling like butterflies were swarming inside. “This is our chance, our opportunity to soar together, to be free to fly, you and me. I don’t want to make this journey alone. Please.”

All of a sudden, Kurt heard a low sound come from the crowd that sounded like booing. Then, he heard others joining in. Blaine was getting booed! It was just as he had feared.

Until he realized that what the crowd was chanting wasn’t the word boo. It was Blue.

“BLUE! BLUE! BLUE! BLUE!”

It got louder as people stood up from their seats, shouting their encouragement. For him. They were applauding for him, encouraging him to step forward, to make a statement about who he was. This was his chance to face his fear. 

He stood up from his seat, even though he could feel his legs shaking in fear. They had cheered for Chandler as well right before the eggs started flying. It all seemed too good to be true.

“Blue, please. There’s a time and a place for us. Somewhere. And I think that place is here, on stage. Please.” 

Kurt felt frozen in place when suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Jeff. “Go Kurt. Go to him. It’s ok.”

All of a sudden, Blaine started to sing. 

.

_There's a place for us_

_Somewhere a place for us_

.

Blaine looked directly at Kurt and nodded, motioning for him to join him on stage and sing with him. He turned his head and saw Tina smiling at him, encouraging him to join Blaine on stage. As Blaine continued to sing, Kurt slowly made his way to the stage, his heart beating rapidly inside his chest. He wondered if anyone had actually ever died on a stage because if not, he was about to change that statistic. 

.

_Peace and quiet and open air_

_Wait for us somewhere_

.

As Kurt stepped on stage, someone handed him a mic. Rachel. She took his hand and led him over to Blaine. Blaine walked over to Kurt and took his hands in his. He nodded to Kurt as if to signal to him to sing the next lines. 

.

_There's a time for us_

_Someday a time for us_

_Time together with time to spare_

_Time to learn, time to care_

_Someday!_

.

Blaine stepped closer to him as he sang the next lines.

.

_Somewhere_

_We'll find a new way of living_

.

Kurt looked at Blaine and he forgot about all of the people in the audience. He forgot about all of the judgemental stares and hateful words that he had been so fearful of. At this moment, it didn’t matter. He only saw Blaine. Beautiful Blaine. He opened his mouth and sang right to him. 

.

_Oh, we'll find a way of forgiving_

_Somewhere_

.

Blaine smiled and joined Kurt. 

.

_Somewhere_

.

Blaine took Kurt’s hand and led him right center stage. A spotlight shown only on them while their voices crescendoed together as they faced one each other, staring into one another’s eyes.

.

_There's a place for us_

_A time and a place for us_

_Hold my hand and we're halfway there_

_Hold my hand and I'll take you there_

_Somehow_

_Someday_

_Somewhere._

.

Kurt felt euphoric as he saw the crowd cheering, still on their feet. Blaine smiled at him and leaned in closer to him. “How do you feel?”

“Free,” Kurt replied, and closed the gap, kissing Blaine soundly on the lips. 

* * *

One kiss faded into another as the auditorium finally started clearing out and people started scurrying around them to prepare the stage for the matinee performance the next day. Reluctantly, Kurt allowed people to whisk Blaine away to congratulate him on a job well done. Kurt used the moment to do the same for Rachel. 

He was about to slip off stage when he felt a warm hand slip into his. Blaine’s. “Leaving so soon?”

Kurt shook his head and bit his lip shyly. “No, I was just going to wait backstage for you.”

“Actually, I have someone that wants to meet you. This is our director, Shelby Corcoran. I’ve been telling her about you.”

Shelby nodded. “He said something about you wanting to audition for our next show, Wicked. After the way you just sang with Blaine here, I say ``welcome aboard.”

“Wait, seriously?” Kurt squealed. 

“Anyone that has the guts to do what you just did deserves a role. Consider this a callback.”

“Oh my God. Blaine! I can’t believe you did this.”

Blaine shook his head. “What I did? Kurt, you are amazing. You did it. You stepped on the stage. You came out. You showed everyone what you were capable of and who you are. I had very little to do with it. I’m so proud of you,” Blaine said, closing the gap and kissing Kurt squarely on the mouth.

* * *

“Can you believe it! We did it. We won Nationals!” Jeff gloated as he got into the back seat of Blaine’s Prius and scooted next to Nick.”

“Yep, I believe it because you’ve reminded me every day,” Blaine laughed as he backed up and pulled out of the driveway. “It’s because of this guy here.” Blaine pointed to Kurt in the front seat, who leaned in and kissed Blaine’s lips sweetly. 

“Yep, pretty much,” Kurt laughed. 

“Conceited much,” Jeff teased. 

“Nope. Just confident,” Kurt chuckled. “Admit it. It was the reason you were so glad I came back.”

Jeff shook his head. “Winning nationals was a bonus. The main reason I wanted you back, besides the fact that you are an amazing roommate, is this guy right here,” Jeff said pointing at Blaine. “I mean, I don’t believe I’ve seen a frown from him since you returned.”

“Truth,” Nick nodded. “Thank God. I was sick of his moping. You were only gone a week, and this guy played the saddest, most depressing songs every freakin’ night. I’m so glad this guy right here,” he said, giving Jeff a quick peck on the lips, “let me share his bed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made it through that ordeal,” Nick laughed. 

“Awwww. You missed moi,” Kurt grinned. “I missed you too,” he said, kissing Blaine square on the lips. “So, where to? Did Wes call an emergency meeting to talk about our game plan for next year?”

Blaine shook his head. “Nope. He handed the gavel over to David. No more meetings and no more practice for us this week, right Nick?”

“Nope,” Nick smiled, slapping a suitcase in the seat behind him.

“Where the hell did that come from? That's my luggage,” Jeff blurted in surprise.

“I packed it. Let’s just say we’re all going on a trip.”

“Wait, Blaine! We’re going on a trip? I didn’t bring anything! I don’t have my-”

Nick pointed on the other side of the seat. “All of those are yours. You have more clothes than a dry cleaners. Damn Kurt. You could clothe the population of Hawaii,” he laughed.

“So wait, where are we going?” Kurt asked. 

Blaine held up a brochure. 

**Best Colleges and Universities in New York**

“New York! We’re going to New York? Oh my God! Does my dad know?”

Blaine chuckled. “Do you really think I’d take you to New York without your father’s permission? I had to promise him no funny business so you could come. We were this close,” Blaine said, bringing his fingers only half an inch apart, “to having Finn come along with us. But Nick and I convinced him that this is an educational trip, so we can decide exactly which college we’re going to attend.”

“So wait, it’s just us? Going to New York?” Kurt squeaked. 

Blaine nodded. “Just us. You up for it?”

“Hell yeah!” Kurt and Jeff both yelped as they kissed their boyfriends. Blaine pulled out of the driveway and they headed off, ready for their next adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that’s it. I hope it was worth the wait. 
> 
> Of course, I want to thank my beta, Klainydayz. This wouldn’t have been legible without her insight and her dedication to fixing my careless mistakes. 
> 
> I also want to thank my artist Klainiac and apologize for my repeated emails. I’m so proud to say that she designed the gorgeous cover art just for this fic.
> 
> A special shout out to Kellyb321 and Itsnoteasybeingqueen for reading this as I wrote it to make sure it made sense, and calling me out on it when it didn’t. I love you ladies. They’ve both written some incredible fics, so if you’ve never read their work, run right now and dive right in. You won’t regret it. 
> 
> I want to thank the mods over at blaineandersonbigbangblog for being so patient and working with me on the schedule, especially after my appendix decided that it wanted to be taken out the week this was supposed to be posted. I really enjoyed this challenge. Thank you for organizing it. I’m sure it was no small or easy task. 
> 
> Lastly, thank you to all of you out there that still read and comment on Klaine fanfiction. Without you guys, we wouldn’t have an audience. I’d love to hear your comments, especially if you’re reading my work for the first time. Until next time.


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